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Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds...”
- Shakespear's Sonnets The Inaugural is OVER!
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Valentine’s Day is approaching.
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mshapiro@compass.com

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202.203.0339
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Buy Local, Sell Local, Support Local Businesses Like
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2 02 . 841.76 53

2 02 .841 .1 4 3 3

6 6 0 P E N N S Y LVA N I A AV E , S E
Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is
intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors,
omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any
description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the
services of an architect or engineer. This is not intended to solicit property already listed.

10 H Hillrag.com

202.545.6900

Compass is licensed as
‘Compass Real Estate’ in the District of Columbia

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www.polarbearairconditioning.com
Your crew was really clean and tidy. Plus, they were very pleasant to
work with.We really appreciated that.
– Linda, Capitol Hill

All Credit
Cards Accepted
February 2017 H 15

Steve Raskin of Fort Knox Five
Photo: Courtesy of the DC Public
Library Foundation

1
1 DC Public Library Local Music
Compilation and CD Release Party

The DC Public Library Foundation is set to release a compilation
album featuring several luminaries of the DC music scene entitled
ALB’s Rock the Stacks. The release will come in both vinyl and
digital format. The vinyl version of the album, which has 14 mostly
original tracks, is being produced by local vinyl pressing company,
Furnace. A digital download of ALB’s Rock the Stacks will also be
available and will include additional songs. Some of the bands and
musicians appearing on the album include Thievery Corporation,
Deathfix, Fort Knox Five, Shortstack and Small Doses. The release
party will feature many of the bands on the album, including Elmapi, Furniteur, Warm Sun and The ALB Allstars (a supergroup of
members appearing on Rock the Stacks). More information can
be found at dcpls.org/rockthestacks. The Foundation is hosting a
local music festival and release party at MLK Library, 901 G St. NW,
on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. The proceeds of the album and all events surrounding it will go to the DC Public Library Foundation.

16 H Hillrag.com

2 Della Robbia: Sculpting with
Color in Renaissance Florence
at the NGA

More than 500 years after their creation, Della Robbia terracotta sculptures endure as some of the most innovative and
expressive examples of art from the Italian Renaissance.
Some 40 examples illustrate the range of sculptural types
produced by the workshop, Madonna and Child reliefs, architectural decoration, portraits, household statuettes and
large-scale figures in the round. While drawn chiefly from
American collections, this exhibition also includes six major
loans from Italy, among them Luca’s masterpiece, The Visitation (c. 1445). On loan from the church of San Giovanni
Fuorcivitas in Pistoia, the work is traveling to the United
States for the first time. Della Robbia: Sculpting with Color
in Renaissance Florence will be on view in the West Building
of the National Gallery of Art, from Feb. 5 through June 4,
2017. nga.gov.

“Born and Reared: screens on March 3 with Director Henrietta Norton
in attendance. It is a moving documentary that explores contemporary
Northern Ireland, through the lives of four men living in the aftermath of
violent conﬂict; a story about reimagined identity of place and the fragility
of masculinity. Still: Courtesy of Hot Feet London Ltd.

Capital Irish Film Festival showcases
films about subjects pertaining to all
of Ireland, Irish identity and culture
or that are examples of Irish artistry.
Entries are invited for feature-length
or short films, including comedy,
drama, documentary, animation, experimental and musical. The festival,
March 2 to 5, has moved from the
E Street Cinema to the AFI Silver
Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver
Spring, MD. solasnua.org/ciff/. Editor’s note: As we go to press, the Solas Nua website has not been updated. Please check back as the festival
draws near.

4 atlas interseCtions
FestiVal

The eighth annual INTERSECTIONS Festival, Feb.
24 to March 5, will feature more than 100 performances in dance, music, theatre, family programming and youth development. An audience of
over 7,000 patrons and arts lovers is expected. The
Atlas Performing Arts Center’s INTERSECTIONS
Festival was founded in 2009 as a multi-day festival
that brings artists and audiences alike to the developing H Street NE corridor. The Festival engages
audiences and artists alike by sparking conversation, deeper connection and community transformation. The full Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival
schedule is in the Calendar section of this paper.
Kids’ performances are in the Kids and Family
Notebook in the back of the paper. The Atlas is
at 1333 H St. NE. 202399-7993 ext. 2. atlasarts.org.

5 watCh on the rhine
at arena

Four-time Academy Award nominee and
Golden Globe winner Marsha Mason
(The Goodbye Girl) leads an ensemble
cast as Fanny Farrelly in Lillian Hellman’s
suspenseful masterpiece “Watch on the
Rhine.” With America on the brink of
entering World War II, Fanny’s daughter
escapes to the DC suburbs with her German husband, a man deeply involved in
anti-fascist movements. But with an Eastern European guest with ulterior motives
also living in their midst, tensions rise as
it becomes clear that no one’s safety can
be guaranteed at home or abroad. Watch
on the Rhine is at Arena Stage, Feb. 3 to
March 5. arenastage.org.

Through March 5. Rosalind is banished from
court and flees to the Forest of Arden, where
she discovers Orlando and a world of passion
and possibility in one of Shakespeareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most
cherished romantic comedies. folger.edu.

18 H Hillrag.com

CAPITOL HILL VILLAGE CORNER

Capitol Hill Village –
helping the community
navigate the future.

The Key to Your Community

A Greater Capitol Hill for Long Life
We know the qualities about Capitol Hill that we like: social activities, activities for youth,
fantastic neighbors, community amenities, walkability. The list goes on.
If you are designing the Capitol Hill of your future, what do you want to see? How can Capitol
Hill evolve to become a greater place to live? More recreation facilities, safer sidewalks, more
housing alternatives, different social service amenities . . .
PRESIDENT’S DAY
Revolutionary War Reenactment
at Fort Ward. Feb. 19, 10 AM to 3
PM. Historic camp and tactical demonstrations throughout the day at
Fort Ward Park, 4301 W. Braddock
Rd., Alexandria, VA. At 2 PM view a
Revolutionary War skirmish between
the Redcoats and the Colonial Army.
Free. washingtonbirthday.com.
George Washington Birthday Parade in Old Town. Feb. 20, 1 to 3
PM. This is the largest parade celebrating Washington’s birthday in the
US. washingtonbirthday.net/parade.
President’s Day Library of Congress
Main Reading Room Open House.
Feb. 20, 10 AM to 3 PM. Twice each
year, the Library of Congress opens
its magnificent Main Reading Room
for a special open house to share information about how the public can
access the Library’s resources yearround. Thomas Jefferson Building,
10 First St. SE. loc.gov.
Free Admission to Mount Vernon.
Feb. 20 and 22, 9 AM to 5 PM. Feb.
22, is George Washington’s actual
birthday. mountvernon.org.

What are the possibilities?
How do we become the greatest community in the world to celebrate long life?
These are the questions that we are answering through our Greater Capitol Hill for Long Life
symposia and conversations with city agencies including DC Office of Planning, Events DC
and more. If you love Capitol Hill for what it is today – then participate in creating the
Capitol Hill of tomorrow.

Control entertainment system, indoor
and outdoor lighting, heating and
cooling, window treatments from your
cell phone and home control panel.

Serene Master Bath with
Heated Floors and Steam Shower.

Dual Zone HVAC.
Heated Gutters.

2017 Festival of Sacred Music. Feb.
25 and 26. This two-day Festival of
Sacred Music features choral, organ
and conducting master classes led
by Cathedral musicians. Join them
for a day of study on Saturday, and
a day of worship on Sunday. $25 for
adults over 18. Washington National
Cathedral. cathedral.org.

JACKIE SINK

202-352-5793
jackie.sink@compass.com

LIBBY CLARKE

202-841-1812
libby.clarke@compass.com

CRYSTAL CRITTENDEN

202-246-0931
crystal.crittenden@compass.com

theAter AND FiLM
Mack, Beth at the Keegan. Through
Feb. 11. Mack, Beth is set in the
modern tech business world. Keegan
Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. 202265-3767. keegantheatre.com.

SEE OUR REVIEWS ON ZILLOW

The Hard Problem at Studio.
Through Feb. 19. Bristling with intellectual energy and searing wit,
The Hard Problem explores the complexities of consciousness, the nature of belief and how to reconcile
hard science with lived experience.
Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW.
202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org.
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February 2017 H 21

Studio. Through Feb. 19. Samantha and
Leo are a team — best friends and roommates, fat girl and gay guy against the
world — until a new friend upends their
cozy co-dependent diet of mutual selfloathing and Grey’s Anatomy marathons.
Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202332-3300. studiotheatre.org.
Mosaic’s Hooded (or being Black for Dummies) at the Atlas. Through Feb. 19. A dark
comedy/satire set in an around Baltimore
about growing up black in America, riffing on the Trayvon Martin case, mistaken
identity, incarceration, and being black on
a privileged college campus. atlasarts.org.
Roe at Arena. Through Feb. 19. The
lawyer: a young, brilliant, courageous
woman arguing Roe v. Wade before the
Supreme Court. The plaintiff: a complex, single woman seeking to end an
unwanted pregnancy. The landmark 1973
case legalized abortion, but also began
their separate journeys that would come
to mirror the polarization in American
culture. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW.
202-488-3300. arenastage.org.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at Ford’s.
Through Feb. 19. In this American theatrical masterpiece and Tony Award-winning play, George and Martha invite Nick
and Honey to their home after a faculty
party. What awaits their late-night guests
is not a welcoming nightcap but tempestuous verbal sparring fueled by alcohol
and 20 years of marital dysfunction. and
illusion blur. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St.
NW. 202-347-4833. fords.org.
Baby Screams Miracle at Woolly.
Through Feb. 26. A small house is besieged by an apocalyptic storm. Great
trees crack and splinter, garbage shatters windows, a deer impales the car
windshield and the wind hurls a trampoline into the living room. While their
family home collapses all around them,
a prodigal daughter and her zealous
relatives try to pray their way to safety.
Woolly Mammoth, 641 D St. NW. 202393-3939. woollymammoth.net.
Yo también hablo de la rosa/I Too Speak
of the Rose at GALA. Through Feb. 26. In

22 H Hillrag.com

this searing look at poverty and society’s
response to it, two poor teens who accidentally derail a train while skipping
school become the subject of a media
frenzy. Performed in Spanish with English surtitles. GALA Theatre, 3333 14th
St. NW. galatheatre.org.
Novels into Film: Like Apples and Oranges
at Hill Center. Feb. 6, 7 PM. Mike Canning,
movie reviewer for the Hill Rag, will offer
a lecture comparing US literature and motion pictures entitled “Novels into Film:
Like Apples and Oranges.” The discussion
examines several significant American
novels that have been converted to major
Hollywood films and speculates on what
has been lost and gained in the transition.
Free. Reserve a seat at hillcenterdc.org.
King Charles III at Shakespeare. Feb. 7 to
March 12. he Queen is dead. After a lifetime of waiting, Prince Charles ascends
the throne with Camilla by his side. As
William, Kate and Harry look on, Charles
prepares for the future of power that lies
before him…but how to rule? Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-547-1122.
shakespearetheatre.org.
The Uncivil Civil War Film Series at Hill
Center. Feb. 12 to 26, 4 PM. Feb. 12, Ride
with the Devil; Feb. 19, Freedom Road;
Feb. 26, Slavery by Another Name. Free.
In celebration of the Old Naval Hospital’s
150th anniversary, Hill Center and Tom
Zaniello will screen and discuss three
films that explore American society beyond the battlefields How uncivil, dangerous and beyond the reach of the law
were many individuals were who did not
wear uniforms. These films all tell terrifying but true stories of freedom lost and
brutality. Read more at hillcenterdc.org/
home/programs/3002.
The How and the Why at Theater J. Feb.
15 to March 12. By the writer of hit TV
shows In Treatment and The Affair, this
exhilarating and keenly perceptive play
about science, family and survival of the
fittest grapples with the choices faced by
women of every generation. Theater J,
1529 16th St. NW. 800-494-8497. washingtondcjcc.org.

Very Last Days of First Colored Circus
at the Anacostia Playhouse. Feb. 15 to
March 5. The Very Last Days of the First
Colored Circus is a redemptive new story
of love, loss and family set against the
backdrop of the 1927 Charles County
Fair. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon
PL. SE. theateralliance.com. anacostiaplayhouse.com.
Avant Bard’s The Gospel at Colonus.
Feb. 23 to March 26. A soaring celebration of transcendence and the fragility of
life, The Gospel at Colonus was a global
sensation when it premiered in 1983.
The story combines Greek tragedy and
African American heritage. Gunston Arts
Center, Theatre Two, 2700 South Lang
St., Arlington, VA. avantbard.org.
Intelligence at Arena. Feb. 25 to April 2.
A covert operative is racing to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq when the
unthinkable happens. With the country
at war, her cover is blown and she must

navigate a media frenzy, the CIA’s search
for answers and her diplomat husband’s
dogged pursuit of the truth. Arena Stage,
1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-488-3300. arenastage.org.
Hamilton’s America with Filmmaker Alex
Horwitz at Hill Center. Feb. 27, 7 PM. This
is a conversation with the director of the
critically acclaimed documentary, “Hamilton’s America,” which recently aired
on PBS’s Great Performances. The film is
a behind-the-scenes look at Lin-Manuel
Miranda’s pop-culture and Broadway phenomenon, “Hamilton.” $10. Purchase tickets at hillcenterdc.org.
Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing at Signature.
Feb. 28 to March 26. Based on the reallife story of Elva Miller, this touching and
funny portrait offers Monk the role of a
lifetime as the devoted, warbling songstress whose operatic, off-key singing
became an unlikely pop phenomenon in
the 1960s. Signature Theatre, 4200 Camp-

Chiarina Chamber Players’ season finale: Intimacy and Brilliance is on Sunday,
April 2, 7:30 p.m. at St. Marks.

Chiarina Chamber Players
Presents “Voyages in Song”

Feb. 18, 4 PM. Featuring the music of Robert and Clara Schumann,
Chopin, Liszt, Richard Strauss and André Previn. Tickets are $15
online, $20 at the door, $10 for students. St. Mark’s, 301 A St. SE.
chiarina.org.

National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC).
Open daily, 10 AM to 5:30 PM. A limited number of walk-up passes on weekdays are available starting at 1 PM. No
walk-up passes will be available on
weekends. Same-day, online, timed
passes are available only through the
museum’s website, nmaahc.si.edu/
sameday, beginning at 6:30 a.m.
nmaahc.si.edu.

Black History
Month Events

Lives Bound Together: Slavery at
George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Through
Sept. 30, 2018. Through household furnishings,
art works, archaeological discoveries, documents
and interactive displays, the exhibition, demonstrates how closely intertwined the lives of the
Washingtons were with those of the enslaved.
mountvernon.org.

of African American History and Culture. nmaahc.
si.edu.
The Blood of Emmett Till. Feb. 8, noon. In 1955,
a group of white men murdered fourteen-year-old
black man, Emmett Till committing one of the most
notorious hate crimes in American history. National
Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. archives.gov.

The Rosa Parks Papers at the Library of Congress.
Tarzan to Tonto: Stereotypes as Obstacles to ProgThe papers of Rosa Parks (1913-2005) span the years
ress Toward a More Perfect Union Symposium.
1866 to 2006, with the bulk of the material dating
Feb. 9, 6 to 8 PM. As early Americans sought to defrom 1955 to 2000. The collection, which contains
fine their identity in a new country, race became a
approximately 7,500 items in the Manuscript Dimajor fixation. National Museum of African Amervision, as well as 2,500 photographs in the Prints
ican History and Culture. nmaahc.si.edu.
and Photographs Division, documents many aspects
of Parks’s private life and public activism on behalf of civil rights for African
Americans. Access the collection at loc.
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad
gov/collections/rosa-parks-papers.
Visitor Center at sunrise. Photo: NPS
Mosaic’s Hooded (or being Black
for Dummies) at the Atlas. Through
Feb. 19. A dark comedy/satire set in an
around Baltimore about growing up
black in America, riffing on the Trayvon Martin case, mistaken identity, incarceration and being black on a privileged college campus. atlasarts.org.
Historically Speaking: Never Caught:
The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit
of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge.
Feb. 8, 7 PM. NMAAHC will present
Erica Armstrong Dunbar, Professor
of History, University of Delaware, in
a discussion of her new book entitled
“Never Caught: Ona Judge, The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of their Runaway Slave.” Free. National Museum

Very Last Days of First Colored Circus at the Anacostia Playhouse. Feb.
15 to March 5. “The Very Last Days of
the First Colored Circus” is a redemptive new story of love, loss and family
set against the backdrop of the 1927
Charles County Fair. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020
Shannon PL. SE. theateralliance.com. anacostiaplayhouse.com.
Human Rights Heroes: Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King, Jr. Feb.
15; 10 AM, 10:45 AM, 2 and 2:45 PM. Ranger talk.
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. nps.gov/nama.
Cultural Expressions: NMAAHC Fashion Collection-Iconic Looks. Feb. 21, 7 to 9 PM. Pulitzer
Prize-winning fashion writer, Robin Givhan interviews haute couture designers among NMAAHC’s
collections including B Michael, whose beautiful
designs have been worn by such renowned actresses Cicely Tyson, and Phylicia Rashad.
National Museum of African American History and Culture. nmaahc.
si.edu.

Photo/Beth Parnicza

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park.
Opens March 11, 2017. The woods and wetlands of Maryland’s
Eastern Shore shaped Harriet Tubman’s early life in slavery. Using
her skills as an outdoorswoman, Tubman navigated the landscape
for multiple return journeys to bring friends and family north to
freedom. Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, 4068 Golden Hill Rd., Church Creek, MD. nps.gov/hatu.

Thurgood Marshall Remembered.
Feb. 22; 10 AM, 10:45 AM, 2 PM and
2:45 PM. Ranger talk. Martin Luther
King Jr. Memorial. nps.gov/nama.
Avant Bard’s The Gospel at Colonus.
Feb. 23 to March 26. A soaring celebration of transcendence and the fragility
of life, “The Gospel at Colonus” was a
global sensation when it premiered in
1983. The story is both a Greek tragedy and a part of the African American
heritage. Gunston Arts Center, Theatre Two, 2700 South Lang St., Arlington, VA. avantbard.org.
Harry T. Burleigh: From the Spiritual
to the Harlem Renaissance. Feb. 23,
7 to 9 PM. Jean E. Snyder traces Bur-

Frederick Douglass’s 199th Birthday.
Feb. 17 and 18. Programming and
activities will explore the life and
legacy of Frederick Douglass through
his connection to the arts. Frederick
Douglass National Historic Site, 1411
W St. SE. nps.gov/frdo.
leigh’s life from his Pennsylvania childhood through his fifty-year tenure as soloist at St. George’s Episcopal Church
in Manhattan. Montpelier Room, sixth
floor, James Madison Building, Library
of Congress. loc.gov.
Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena
Hickok-Best of friends? Feb. 24, 6 PM
and 6:45 PM; and Feb. 25, 4 PM and
4:45 PM. Ranger talk. Martin Luther
King Jr. Memorial. nps.gov/nama.
Taking the Stage: A Celebration of
Black Composers and Chamber Music Performed by Pershing’s Own. Feb
26, 3 to 5 PM. Join the US Army Band,
“Pershing’s Own,” in a performance of
chamber music works by esteemed African American classical music composers. NMAAHC. nmaahc.si.edu.
Rhythm Cafe: Oh Ella! Celebrating
the 100th Anniversary of Ella Fitzger-

February 2017 H 29

A curator installs a copy of Sepia from
September, 1966, in the Newseum’s newest exhibit, “1966: Civil Rights at 50.” Photo:
Courtesy of Newseum

1967: Civil Rights at 50 at Newseum. 1967: Civil Rights at 50 tells
the dramatic story of the growing
militancy of the struggle for racial
justice in 1967. It tells the dramatic story of the growing militancy
of the struggle for racial justice in
1967. Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW. newseum.org.
ald. March 11, 2 to 4 PM. The Anacostia Community Museum features
a special tribute to one of jazz music’s most distinctive voices known for
her scat style of singing, diction and
perfect pitch. Anacostia Community Museum, 901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.
Alexandria’s Watson Reading
Room. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 AM to 4 PM. Located next
door to the Alexandria Black History Museum, the Watson Reading
Room is a non-circulating research
repository focusing on issues of African-American history and culture.
Alexandria Black History Museum,
902 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA. 703746-4356. alexandriava.gov.

he 2017 Capitol Hill Village Gala
glistens with the theme of “Lights!
Camera! Action!” and offers the
chance to experience “Hollywood
on the Hill.” This year the event
offers a lively sound track for dancing and listening, craft services of hors d’oeuvre and sweets, and
selected short subjects in the
form of attractive auction items–
all to benefit this prominent Hill
organization.
The event takes place on
Saturday, March 4, 2017, from
7:00 pm to 10:30 pm, fresh after the awarding of the Academy
Awards the Sunday before. Again
this year the CHV Gala offers a
new venue, this time on the campus of Gallaudet University at its
Kellogg Conference Center and Hotel (800 Florida
Avenue NE). Parking is free and plentiful at the site.
This year’s gala marks the beginning of the Village’s 10th Anniversary celebration (the Village was
launched October 1, 2007). Ten community members will be honored at the event. CHV Executive
Director Molly Singer characterizes the gala as “the
Hill at its best. It brings together all sorts of people,
businesses, and creative types who are invested in

CHV Executive Director Molly Singer
(second from left) celebrates with
family and friends at the 2016 Gala

32 H Hillrag.com

supporting seniors and celebrating life. This year
will be no different--and we can expect sightings of
John Wayne, Mae West, and other great Hollywood
celebrities. We are so grateful for all of the community’s enthusiasm and support!”
The evening’s entertainment will feature
a lively DJ spinning music with both a Hollywood flavor as well as an eclectic mix of vibrant dance numbers. Decorations will evoke
a movie night premiere, right
down to the klieg lights and red
carpet. A parade of classic film
clips is to be expected. Catering, provided by the Kellogg
Center, will feature hearty appetizers, varied buffet stations,
and sweet delicacies.
A new aspect this year is
that most silent auction items will be offered online in advance so interested bidders can assess
and bid on a broad selection of items. This will
expand the bidder pool and make items available
to those who are not able to attend the gala.
“We’re going to have as many auction items
as there are stars on Hollywood’s ‘Walk of Fame,’”
promises Auction Chair Bruce Brennan. “And we
hope to get as many bidders too!” Brennan adds
that there will be “gift certificates for restaurants across
the Hill, theater tickets
from all over town, and musical outings far and near.”
There will also be behindthe-scenes tours of the
Smithsonian, the Arboretum, and the Newseum. To
cap the offerings, Brennan
enthuses about “great getaway vacation homes from
Victorian castles to cozy
cottages, with additions this
year on properties on Fire Island and Cape May.”
The online auction site

The Village’s Programs and Services Coordinator
Tamara Coln (second from left) enjoyed last year’s
gala at Union Market with her family

is expected to be available in early February and
will remain open until just before the March 4
party. The only major silent auction items that
will be available during the evening will be the
signature “Salon Dinners,” wherein winning bidders can dine and interact with special guests both
informed and celebrated, at welcoming Capitol
Hill homes.
Among some of the salon dinner guests already confirmed are: Francisco Aragon, director
of “Letras Latinas,” an organization cultivating Latin American poets; opera singer Mandy Brown; a
“Yappy Hour” for pet fanciers featuring a prominent veterinarian; Peggy Pridemore, a local film location manager who has worked on films such as
“Forrest Gump” and “Argo,” and a panel of prominent women reporters including Kasie Hunt, Susan Page, and Susan Davis.
The gala will again include a live auction extravaganza with six to eight especially enticing offerings, including a spectacular Manhattan getaway and some major gourmet meals.
Besides presenting a fabulous party, the gala
serves as the major annual fundraiser for CHV’s
expanding programs. A principal part of that fund-

raising comes from area sponsors
and donors. Phil Guire, president of the CHV Board, who is
principally responsible for lining
up sponsors, hopes to surpass last
year’s take. “Moving into a smaller, more intimate venue means
we have to have a higher rate of
return (from each sponsor). We’d
like to raise at least $75,000 in
sponsorships, and we are 60 percent of the way there.”
Some of those businesses
already committed to supporting the gala are National Capital
Bank, contributing at the highest
level of “Best Picture Nominee,”
and Home Care Assistance, Insight Property Group, Tom Faison Real Estate, and Gary Michael Real Estate, all labeled
as “Producers.” Other donors
at the “Director” level are Phil
and Jeanne Real Estate, Coldwell Banker/Don Denton, Collington Continuing Care, and
Schneiders Liquors.
“Lights, Camera, Action”
calls for evening wear “suitable
for the red carpet,” and the organizers encourage attendees to
present wardrobe dazzle in addressing this theme. Black-tie is
optional. Individual reservations
for the gala will cost $150, and
donor and sponsor levels range
from $1,250 to $10,000.
Capitol Hill Village supports its members through education, resources and referrals,
coordinated by the office staff
headed by Executive Director
Singer, and by the hundreds of
volunteers who serve with tasks
like driving, friendly visits, and
household tasks--as well as organizing the gala itself. Balancing
its service mission, the Village
also offers a wide range of social
activities to motivate and inform
its members, whose number recently passed 500 individuals. u

February 2017 H 33

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February 2017 H 35

Spring into Museums
by Kathleen Donner

1.

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“Frédéric Bazille and the Birth of Impressionism” at the NGA
Despite his contributions to the birth of impressionism, Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870) remains relatively unknown. A thematic presentation of 75 works including paintings by contemporaries such as Claude Monet and Auguste Renoir will bring to light Bazille’s place
as a central figure. Several examples from the Gallery’s collection, which houses the largest group of Bazille’s works outside of France,
will be featured in the first major American exhibition on the artist in almost 25 years. Paintings by his predecessors, Gustave Courbet and Théodore Rousseau, compared with those of Bazille, explore the sources and influences on this limited but visionary painter. “Frédéric Bazille and the Birth of Impressionism” is at the National Gallery of Art, East Building, from April 9 to July 9. nga.gov.

Frédéric Bazille, Family Reunion also
called Family Portraits, 1867, oil on canvas, Musée d’Orsay, Paris. Courtesy of the
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Ailsa
Mellon Bruce Collection

February 2017 H 37

3
2.

“Boom! Artillery
in the American
Revolution” at
Anderson House
This oil painting executed by
William Joseph Weaver ca. 1806
depicts Alexander Hamilton,
the most famous of the radical
young men who helped create the American artillery. He
helped seize British cannon on
Manhattan at the beginning of
the war and served in a New
York artillery company at Brooklyn, Trenton, and Princeton.
Image: Courtesy of The Society
of the Cincinnati

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To win their independence, Americans had to
create an effective artillery service able to challenge the British on the battlefield. They had to
do all of this with little experience or preparation, while fighting a war with a major European power with a well-trained professional army,
the world’s largest navy, factories to manufacture
munitions, craft facilities to build and maintain
equipment and a well-established system for recruiting and training artillerists.
“Boom! Artillery in the American Revolution” is on exhibition at Anderson House through
March 26. It races the development of the Continental Artillery during the Revolutionary War, a
process shaped by broader technological and organizational changes in artillery that transformed
it into a dominant force on European and American war battlefields. Henry Knox is the central
character in this story. Appointed colonel and given command of the Continental Artillery at the
age of twenty-five, Knox drove the development
of the artillery service for the entire Revolutionary War. Anderson House is at 2118 Massachusetts
Ave. NW. societyofthecincinnati.org.

3.

@NatGeo:
The Most Popular
Instagram Photos
National Geographic Museum’s new
exhibition “@NatGeo: Popular Instagram Photos” captures and curates the
most liked, commented on and favorited photos from National Geographic’s iconic Instagram account. As the
world’s top media brand on Instagram,
National Geographic, or @natgeo, has
more than 62 million followers and
over 1 billion likes on its 12,000+ posted images. Experience the diversity of
this innovative and eye-popping content firsthand. Simultaneously digital
and tactile, the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to interact with
National Geographic photography
in a whole new way. From avid photo buffs to cellphone novices, “@NatGeo” is a not-to-be-missed look at the
magic and influence of photography
in the digital age. “@NatGeo: The
Most Popular Instagram Photos” is at
the National Geographic Museum,
1145 17th Street, NW, through April
30, 3017. nationalgeographic.org.
These candy-colored homes in Port-auPrince exemplify both the vibrancy and
poverty of Haiti. Photo by Ed Kashi/
National Geographic

“The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture”
by Jacob Lawrence at the Phillips
This exhibition features 15 rarely seen silkscreen prints created by
American artist Jacob Lawrence (1917–2001) between 1986 and
1997. The series portrays the life of Toussaint L’Ouverture (1742–
1803), the former slave turned leader of Haiti’s independence movement. L’Ouverture led the fight to liberate Saint-Domingue from
French colonial rule and to emancipate the slaves during the 1791
Haitian Revolution, the first successful campaign to abolish slavery
in modern history. Lawrence had explored the same subject more
than 40 years earlier — when he was only 20 years old — in a series
of paintings of the same title (now in the Amistad Research Center,
New Orleans). The celebrated paintings, which were featured prominently at the Baltimore Museum of Art in 1939, laid the groundwork for Lawrence’s lifelong interest in the human quest for freedom and social justice. “The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture” by Jacob
Lawrence is at The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW, through
April 23, 2017. phillipscollection.org.

“Louder Than
Words: Rock,
Power and
Politics” at
Newseum
Through iconic artifacts, compelling images and multimedia experiences, the exhibit examines how music has influenced
issues ranging from political campaigns to
civil rights. Included in are John Lennon’s
acoustic guitar from his 1969 Montreal and
Amsterdam “Bed-Ins for Peace” with Yoko
Ono, the Fender Stratocaster Jimi Hendrix
used to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock, stage costumes worn by
the Village People and original handwritten
lyrics to Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are
a-Changin’,” Chuck Berry’s “School Day,”
Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” and
Green Day’s “American Idiot.” The exhibit
also features artifacts related to the Vietnam
War, the May 4, 1970 shooting at Kent State
University, the fall of the Berlin Wall and
the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Louder Than Words: Rock, Power
and Politics” is at Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, through July 31, includes
exclusive video interviews with Bono, David Byrne, Dee Snider, Tom Morello, Lars
Ulrich, Gloria Estefan, Gregg Allman,
Ann Wilson and others. newseum.org.
Bruce Springsteen wore this outfit
on the cover of “Born in the USA.”
Photo: Collection of Bruce Springsteen

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February 2017 H 43

7.

“The Face
of Battle:
Americans
at War, 9/11
to Now” at
the National
Portrait Gallery

Since September 11, 2001, the United States has been engaged in multiple
wars, varying in intensity, locale and consequence. After fifteen years, this warfare
has become normalized into America’s
social and cultural landscape; it is ongoing, yet somehow out of sight, invisible. “The Face of Battle: Americans
at War, 9/11 to Now” explores and assesses the human costs of ongoing wars
through portraiture. The exhibition title
is drawn from John Keegan’s classic military history, which reorients our view of
war from questions of strategy and tactics to its personal and individual toll.
Featuring fifty-six works by six artists, the
exhibition includes photographs by Ashley Gilbertson, Tim Hetherington, Louie Palu, and Stacy Pearsall; site-specific
installation of drawings by Emily Prince;
and paintings, sculpture, and time-based
media by Vincent Valdez. “The Face of
Battle: Americans at War, 9/11 to Now”
is on exhibition at the National Portrait
Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW, April
7 to Jan. 28, 2018. npg.si.edu.

Construction of the Inka Road stands as one
of the monumental engineering achievements in history. A network more than
20,000 miles long, crossing mountains and
tropical lowlands, rivers and deserts, the
Great Inka Road linked Cusco, the administrative capital and spiritual center of the Inka
world, to the farthest reaches of its empire.
The road continues to serve contemporary
Andean communities across Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile as
a sacred space and symbol of cultural continuity. In 2014, the United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO, recognized the Inka
Road as a World Heritage site.
“The Great Inka Road: Engineering
an Empire” explores the foundations of the
Inka Road in earlier Andean cultures, technologies that made building the road possible, the cosmology and political organization of the Inka world, as well as the legacy
of the Inka Empire during the colonial period and in the present day. “The Great Inka
Road: Engineering an Empire” is at the
American Indian Museum through June 1,
2020. nmai.si.edu.

8.

“The Great
Inka Road:
Engineering
an Empire” at
the American
Indian Museum
A llama caravan travels the
Inka Road. Warautambo, Peru,
1990. Photo: Ramiro Matos
Mendieta, National Museum
of the American Indian,
Smithsonian Institution.

February 2017 H 45

Dining Notes
by Celeste McCall
!Viva Espana!
Wow, what a classy intro! The eagerly awaited Joselito Casa de Comidas arrived early last month at 660 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. We enjoyed a sneak preview featuring an elegant reception and sit-down
dinner. After nibbling hors d’oeuvres and sipping oloroso sherry, we
sat down at richly appointed tables as oversize mirrors gleamed over
the marble-topped bar. Spanish tiles, vintage posters, and family
photos enhanced the warm ambience. “We did not have the budget
for an interior decorator,” co-owner Christiana Campos explained.
They didn’t need one.
Among Chef David Sierra’s classic Spanish dishes we sampled
were consome de pollo con chorizo (elaborately presented chicken broth with chorizo), jamon Iberico (Spanish ham), chicken liver pate, habas con chocos (lima beans with cuttlefish, a family favorite), fork-tender Wagyu beef with chimichurri sauce, Andalusian
torrijas (similar to bread pudding only better). Spanish wines flowed.
Joselito’s regular menu offers these dishes (and more) in three sizes: tapas (appetizers), media racion (half-portion), racion (full size,
ideal for sharing).
Created by Javier Candon, the 70-seat charmer celebrates Javier’s late father Jose, who enjoyed leisurely repasts in a similarly casual, inviting ambiance. “Joselito” was Jose’s childhood nickname,
as well as the moniker of a favorite bullfighter, Joselito el Gallo, and
a popular Spanish child actor in the 50s (Jose Jimenez Fernandez).
Joselito’s “Hemingway Hour” goes daily from 4 to 7 p.m., when

guests may enjoy everything on
the menu with a 20 percent discount. (The famous American
writer spent many hours in Madrid’s restaurants and watering
holes.) Joselito is open daily for
lunch and dinner from 11:30
a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday-Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to midnight,
Friday and Saturday. For more
information call 202-930-6955
or visit www.joselitoDC.com.

Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras is coming up on
Feb. 28, and Bayou Bakery,
901 Pennsylvania Ave. SE (Hill
Center at the Old Naval Hospital) is gearing up. In honor of
the festive season, which kicked
off on Jan. 6 with Epiphany
(Feast of the Three Kings), Bayou chef/co-owner David Guas –
a New Orleans native – is baking traditional king cakes. The
ring-shaped confections, similar
to coffee cakes, are filled with
cream cheese and frosted with
purple, green, and gold symbolizing justice, faith and power. A
small plastic baby is baked inside each. The cakes are served
at parties, and whoever gets the
toy infant has to host the next

Valentine’s Day
A Special Menu for That Special Someone
Visit www.cafeberlin-dc.com for Details
322 Massachusetts Ave, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202.543.7656

fete. Guas’s king cakes (which serve 12-14
each), along with tricolored Mardi Gras beads
and a postcard describing the cake’s history,
are $39.95. Order 48-hours in advance (72
hours for Mardi Gras day) by calling 202-6645307. Pick up the order at Bayou Bakery.
Across the Hill at Union Market, 1309
Fifth St. NE, at chef Guas’s popup Mardi
Gras Headquarters, you may purchase king
cakes whole or by the slice, as well as pralinetopped sugar cookies with purple, green, and
yellow sprinkles. There’s also his own GrasNola (honey-sweetened granola). Bayou’s
popup goes through Feb. 28.

Gator Aid
Speaking of the Pelican State, here’s a tidbit
for Super Bowl festivities (the big game is on

48 H Hillrag.com

Feb. 5). Ivy City Smokehouse, that lively
restaurant/seafood market in the Hecht
Development, often sells alligator morsels. Priced at $18.12 per pound, they
come from Louisiana, where the deepfried critters are a popular bar snack. Yes,
they taste like chicken. Located at 1356
Okie St. NE (off New York Avenue), Ivy City
is closed Monday. Call 202-529-3300.

Turkish Delight
Just around the corner from Ivy City Smokehouse, Pidzza arrived last month at the Hecht
Warehouse at Ivy City. Created by Koray Bozkurt, Pidzza showcases “gourmet pizza with
Turkish flair.” Guests may choose to compose
a salad or pizza with fresh ingredients, or else
order from the menu. Two kinds of handmade
dough (one is gluten-free) are shaped into signature oval pie shapes and stacked with the
likes of ground Angus beef, tomatoes, onions,
and a “special spice blend.” Pidzza’s alcohol
license is reportedly in the works; meanwhile
guests may quaff housemade sodas or ayran, a
refreshing, carbonated mint and yogurt drink.

Pidzza has created a givingback bank, where patrons and management leave extra money for
someone’s meal later. Located at
2000 New York Ave. NE (entrance
on Okie Street), Pidzza is open daily for lunch and dinner; call 202635-0890 or visit www.pidzza.com.

er, spaghetti squash, and sweet potatoes. Starting at 4 p.m. you can sip
a $4 glass of wine, or a special cocktail or beer for $5. Regularly priced
victuals and potables are available
as well. Beuchert’s is open daily. For
more information call 202-733-1384
or visit www.beuchertssaloon.com.

Veggie Hour

Valentine’s at Hank’s

Just across the street from Joselito, Beuchert’s Saloon, the former speakeasy at 623 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, offers a happy hour for
those once-illegal alcoholic beverages, plus healthy vegetarian dishes. Monday through Friday, from
about 5:30 to 10 p.m., you can order assorted veggie small plates for
just $5 each. On a chilly Monday
evening, our friends Patrick and
Marilyn enjoyed roasted cauliflow-

Hank’s Oyster Bar (on the Hill) is
taking reservations for a special Valentine’s Day menu on Feb. 14. Starting at 5 p.m., the lineup might encompass chilled seafood, heads-on
shrimp and cheddar grits, key lime
pie, and much more. Hank’s is at
633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE; for more
information call 202-733-1971.

Birchenall, editor/publisher
of regional trade magazine
Food Service Monthly, who
died on Jan. 9. He was 68.
He succumbed to complications following a lung transplant about three years ago.
I was privileged to know him
and occasionally contribute
to his publication.

Nutmeg Man
An old friend of ours, former
Hill resident Ed Riner, died
of cancer last month in California. He was 78. Ed and
neighbors Dan Rumelt and
Tony Capaccio were fellow
journalists, but Ed moved to
Hollywood to pursue an acting career. A gourmet cook,
he loved nutmeg. During
the holiday season he threw
eggnog parties in his Capitol
Hill home. He would personally grind the pungent spice
on every cup of the rich (and
heavily spiked) drink. He
even had a collection of nutmeg graters. When his beloved cat Bingo turned 16, Ed
made a “tuna cake” of white
bread topped with tuna fish
and the appropriate number
of candles.
Dan Rumelt and wife
Kathie Klass (Ed’s DC lifeline for years) flew out West
to collect Ed’s things, and
we hope they retrieved his
nutmeg graters. Ed and his
spicy culinary expertise will
be missed.

We give to the Capitol Hill Community Foundation
because… we believe this is an investment in our
neighborhood’s future: our children.
Jason Gray, Capitol Hill Day School & Rachel Skerritt, Eastern High School

100% of all donations go directly back into neighborhood initiatives.

Be a Philanthropist. Give to the
Capitol Hill Community Foundation.

We are Philanthropists

donatecapitolhill.org

‘Bye for Now
As we do every winter, Dining Notes is heading to warm
and sunny (we hope!) Florida. We’ll be back in April. u

February 2017 H 51

Capitol Roots

Kaia Kater at Hill Center; Los Lobos at The Hamilton

K

by Charles Walston
aia Kater smashes every stereotype about banjo players. A 23-year-old woman of color from Canada,
she plays traditional oldtime tunes, but also writes
beautiful original songs.
She sings about Black Lives Matter and stalkers. Her
playing style derives from African American string
bands and old-time country music, rather than harddriving bluegrass.
Kater is part of a new generation of musicians
who are bringing banjos into the pop mainstream.
Although the banjo has its origins in Africa, she admits that she had to shed her own preconceptions
about the instrument before she picked it up.

“It was so male-dominated that
I had trouble seeing myself in that
world,” said Kater, who comes to the
Hill Center on February 23. “But oldtime music in my opinion is a little
Los Lobos, now in their fifth decade, perform at The
more accepting.”
Hamilton on March 3. Photo: Drew Reynolds
Kater got exposed to old-time
music after her mother, who has
worked as an administrator for arts ortime clawhammer style (more strumming than finganizations, was drawn to the songs in the film, “O
ger-picking.) She loved the sound of the instrument,
Brother, Where Art Thou?” She took Kater to the
and took lessons at Grey Fox from Ira Gitlin, a DC
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in upstate New York,
area musician.
which offers lessons for children while the artists
Kater had been playing cello since an early age,
are performing.
and she made fast progress on the banjo. Around the
Kater’s ideas about the banjo began to change
time that she started playing, she met members of
when she saw Abigail Washburn play in the oldthe Carolina Chocolate Drops, who draw on early
20th Century African-American string bands that
used guitars, fiddles, banjos, and other instruments.
Kaia Kater plays songs from her new record
They helped Kater realize that there could be a
“Nine Pin” at the Hill Center on February 23.
place for her in old-time music. Since then, ChocPhoto: Polina Mourzova
olate Drops guitarist Dom Flemons has become
something of a mentor to her, and she will share a
bill with him in Raleigh the night after her show at
the Hill Center.
“He’s been instrumental in helping me get to a
point as an artist where I’m not afraid to take risks,”
said Kater. “I look up to him not only as a musician,
but as a person.”
Kater recorded her new CD, “Nine Pin,”
mostly in one day. She plotted the sessions during
her last year as a student at Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia, where she studied Appalachian music and dance. The arrangements on the
record are stark but effective, the lyrics expressive:
It poured down from the
mouths of babes
Locusts in a land of grey
I am wild-eyed and gone astray
Brother dear, bear me away
Brother dear, bear me away
One of the most powerful songs is a traditional

52 H Hillrag.com

hymn, “White,” on which a choir
accompanies Kater and her banjo. It is a shape-note song, socalled because the notes were
delineated by different shapes
for churchgoers who didn’t read
music. “To me, those shape-note
songs have such rich language,
I’ve always been fascinated with
them,” said Kater.
“Nine Pin” earned Kater
a mention from Rolling Stone
magazine, on a list of new country artists who bear watching.
“That was a real good surprise,”
she said. “But I was the same
thing before Rolling Stone as I
am after.”
www.kaiakater.com
www.hillcenterdc.org

Los Lobos
While Kaia Kater is a youthful
prodigy, Los Lobos are prodigiously durable. They’re now in
their fifth decade as a band, touring behind their newest record,
“The Gates of Gold,” which celebrates the stories of immigrants
and other Americans. The tour
brings them to The Hamilton on
March 3.
Although one of their records was titled “Just Another
Band From East LA,” Los Lobos
is in fact our greatest American
roots rock band, stirring blues,
country, rockabilly, Mexican music and folk songs together into a
luscious melting pot, and serving
up scorching live shows.
They don’t try to reinvent
the wheel, but when a band is
this good it never gets old. “We’re
proud of what we feel is an honest body of work,” said saxophone
and keyboard player Steve Berlin. “We just want to keep finding new ways to say things.”
www.loslobos.org
www.thehamiltondc.com
u

A prime destination for dining, large or small
private events, late night dancing & drinking,
and weekend bottomless mimosa brunch!

Preserved military aircraft and technology make up a large
part of the collection open to the public.

Recreations like this one help
bring naval history to life.

The NMUSN is the only naval
museum to include items from
the Navy’s entire history.

NMUSN and Cold War
Gallery Bring History to Life

W

article by Bridey Heing | photos by National Museum of the U.S. Navy

ashington is known for
its wealth of museums
and cultural offerings,
providing educational
and recreational opportunities to visitors and
residents alike. With so
many history, science, and art museums to choose
from, it can be easy to overlook institutions off
the beaten path. One such is the National Museum of the US Navy (NMUSN), located here in
Capitol Hill at the Navy Yard. The NMUSN is
also home to the Cold War Gallery, which provides a comprehensive understanding of the role
of the Navy in the defining conflict of the later
20th century.

Telling the Navy’s Story
Established in 1961 and opened to the public in
1963 in Building 76 in the Navy Yard, the NMUSN
is one of 14 museums maintained by the Navy to
share its history and celebrate its accomplishments.
It is the Navy’s flagship museum, home to a large
permanent collection of artifacts as well as tempo-

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rary exhibits. The museum is currently honoring
the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor
with the exhibit “Valor in the Pacific,” and recently extended an exhibition of artwork by Tom Freeman, who paints scenes from naval history.
“The museum collects, preserves, displays,
and interprets historic naval artifacts and artwork
for the information, education, and inspiration of
naval personnel and the general public,” says museum director Jim Bruns, who oversees both the
NMUSN and the Cold War Gallery. The collection moved several times as it continued to grow,
opening in Building 76 in 1963.
The Navy Yard’s role in preserving and sharing the Navy’s history stretches back to the early
19th century, when the first commandant, Thomas Tingey, began collecting key items. What began with a French gun cast in 1793 expanded
quickly, and by 1865 a building was devoted to
storing the artifacts. The Museum of Naval Relics and Weapons, as it was then called, was one
of the first federal museums in the country and a
popular destination for visitors to the city.
The NMUSN is a priceless resource for un-

derstanding the way the Navy has shaped the history of the United States, and how technology has
changed the way we respond to threats. The museum also illuminates how the Navy aids US interests, many of which visitors may not be familiar with. “There are several important takeaways,”
Bruns says. “Among them is that America’s sailors are the best trained in the world. Another is
that America’s Navy is always at the cutting edge.
And another is that our nation is a maritime nation which relies on the Navy to keep the sea lanes
open for American commerce.”

The Cold War at Sea
The Cold War between the United States and the
Soviet Union was the defining conflict of the later 20th century. Taking place between 1947 and
1991, it shaped international politics and domestic policy, and in many ways continues to do so.
The conflict was named for the lack of largescale “hot” or direct fighting between the United
States and the Soviet Union, a fact that can obscure the important role of the military, including the Navy.

The Cold War Gallery brings visitors
face-to-face with the way the Navy helped
fight the decades-long conflict.

“Many Americans, especially the youngest, have little understanding of the contributions made
by the Navy’s Cold War veterans,”
Bruns says. Bridging that knowledge
gap is a core goal of the Cold War
Gallery. Opened in 2011 as an annex
to the NMUSN, the gallery features
displays of Cold War-era technology,
information on the role of the Navy
in the conflict, and interactive exhibits. These offerings and others weave
a complex political and military history that is accessible for visitors. But
the gallery is focused on more than
just conflict.
“There were multiple facets to
the Cold War – the side that reflected crisis and confrontation, the side
which was covert, and the side that was
humanitarian,” Bruns says. “The Cold
War Gallery examines all three facets.
All too often visitors expect to learn
only about crisis and confrontation.”
The Cold War Gallery was also
established to honor a group of servicemen and women that the Navy
hopes to keep from being overlooked. Bruns describes their story
as “inspiring but little-understood,”
perhaps due in part to the complex
role the Navy played in the conflict.
While the Navy engaged in a number of confrontations with Soviet and

Communist forces at sea, they were
also on the forefront of deterrence,
both by maintaining technological
supremacy and ensuring adherence
to maritime rules of engagement.
Capitol Hill has always had a
close relationship with the military,
due in part to the Marine Barracks
and the Navy Yard. For Bruns, this
highlights the importance of the
NMUSN and Cold War Gallery in
helping the neighborhood understand its own history and the history of some of its residents. “Cold
War sailors are your maturing neighbors, acquaintances, friends, and
co-workers,” he explains. “Without
asking, many of your readers may
never know the role that these sailors played in winning the Cold War.”
The National Museum of the
US Navy and the Cold War Gallery are located in Building 76 at
the Navy Yard. Both are open to the
public on weekdays, and admission is
free. More information can be found
at www.history.navy.mil.
Bridey Heing is a freelance journalist
and book critic living on Capitol Hill.
Her writing has been published by The
Daily Beast, The Economist, The Times
Literary Supplement, and others. You
can find her on Twitter @brideyheing.
u

February 2017 H 55

Food Friendly Wines to
Match Winter Cuisine

B

the
wine
girl

By Elyse Genderson

aby, it’s still cold outside. But despite the gloomy days and colder temperatures, there are plenty of seasonal delights to enjoy.
In fact, beautiful root vegetables
like beets, parsnips, and celery
root are so delicious when roasted with olive oil, sea salt, and fresh pepper, they
should not be relegated to mere side dishes. These
veggies make gorgeous ingredients for your main
course as well. Pairing wine with winter vegetable
dishes can be tricky, but there are a few pairings
that really sing.

Erste + Neue Pinot Grigio,
Alto Adige, Italy
Explore savory pumpkin dishes like pumpkin ravioli in brown sage butter with a crisp, mineraldriven Pinot Grigio. With this wine, the grapes
are grown on steep terraced slopes in Alto Adige,
a region nestled within the Italian Alps on the
border between Austria and Switzerland. Erste
+ Neue Pinot Grigio is far more complex than
many of its siblings. Dramatic day-night temperature swings in the Alps create bracing acidity and
crisp freshness not often seen. The bright notes of
lemon, apple, and pear complement the savory,
spicy pumpkin flavors. The bright acidity also cuts
through the creamy butter sauce.

2015 Las Bas Gewürztraminer,
Somontano, Spain
Another great example is creamy butternut squash
soup with fresh nutmeg paired with Gewürztraminer. Nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountain range in Somontano, the Las Bas vineyards are
some of the northernmost in Spain. Rich sweet ginger, white flowers, spice, and lychee notes explode
from the glass. This zesty and fragrant wine with it’s
tropical notes and spice matches beautifully with
the spicy nutmeg and sweet, nutty taste of the butternut squash.

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2013 Worthy Chardonnay, Calistoga,
Napa Valley
Winter is also a terrific time to experiment with
roasting and puréeing different root vegetables for
complex and comforting flavors. Root vegetables
typically pair well with Chardonnay. A purée of celery root with a bit of cream makes a decadent side
dish and is a wonderful accompaniment to scallops pan seared in butter. Pair this delightful seasonal dish with an American Chardonnay: 100%
Chardonnay from 25-year-old vines featuring 80%
French oak, 50% of it new. The remainder is stainless steel aged. Offering aromas of brioche, peach,
apple, and pear, with hints of orange, this wine will
complement root veggies perfectly.

2015 Cuvee de Penya Viognier,
Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Viognier works well with sweet root vegetables especially carrots and parsnips roasted with a pinch
of curry spices. Viognier’s original home is in the
Rhône Valley, and its exotic floral and fruity character is the perfect partner for winter cuisine. This
Viognier shows lighter fruit notes like tangerine,
mango and honeysuckle. A hint of clove and nutmeg comes through on the back end. At only $10
per bottle, this is an incredible value that is sure to
elevate your winter veggie roasts.

2011 Sons of Eden Zephyrus Shiraz,
Barossa Valley, Australia
Savory sweet potato dishes are so simple and versatile this time of year. Make it the star of your meal
and cook up some sweet potato and black bean quesadillas, or simply roast them with brown butter and
rosemary for a delicious side dish. Pair with a Shiraz from Barossa as the wine’s natural sweetness and
bold, lush fruit is an ideal complement to the sweetness in the potatoes.This lavish wine has aromas
of purple flowers, spice, ripe blackberry, and dark
plums on the nose and palate. Big and soft, you’ll
love the long, elegant finish on this hedonistic wine.

2013 Toluca Lane Pinot Noir,
Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon
While most mushrooms are available year-round,
many are at their peak in fall and winter. Try pairing an oyster, shiitake, and wild mushroom crostini
with an earthy Pinot Noir. Toluca Lane is a family
owned boutique wine operation in Yamhill County, Oregon. The 2013 is a light, elegant, and refined Pinot Noir featuring notes of bright Rainier
cherries, and hints of forest floor. The mushrooms
will pair beautifully with the polished earthy undertones in the wine.
Let’s not forget the hearty, comforting, and
warming meat dishes and slow-cooker stews of the
season. These delicious staples are much easier
to pair with wine as well. Experiment with fresh,
seasonal herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme, all
crushed and made into a rub with a pinch of lemon
zest and a healthy serving of olive oil. It’s so simple
and delicious! Add fresh black peppercorns and bay
leaves to the mix for an extra kick. Smother all over
a tenderloin steak and partner with a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon for a heavenly pairing.
Get inspired with winter produce at the Eastern Market this coming weekend and treat yourself and your family to a healthy and warming meal
paired with a great bottle of wine.
Visit Elyse Genderson at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill at
300 Massachusetts Avenue, NE. For more information,
visit www.cellar.com. u

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For more information,
or to donate or volunteer,
visit www.literaryhillbookfest.org.
And follow us on
Twitter (@hillbookfest) and
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#LHBF17

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by Mike Canning
his column is being published just
after the Academy Awards nominations have been announced,
and your reviewer wanted to signal a few foreign films likely to be
recognized.

di, it’s time to relish his current film, “The Salesman” (Forushande), which echoes his earlier
works with a wholly contemporary Iranian setting,
a discursive yet intriguing plot featuring an outof-the-blue domestic trigger, and finely calibrated
performing from an ensemble of his favorite actors.
(The film, which opens Feb. 3, runs 125 minutes
and is rated PG-13.)
‘The Salesman’
Emad Etesami (Shahab Hosseini) and his
Ashgar Farhadi is on a roll. The Iranian director
wife Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti) are a middle-class
came to worldwide attention when his film “A Sepcouple in Tehran. He is a literature teacher, and
aration” won the 2012 Oscar for Best Foreign Lanboth he and his wife are rehearsing lead roles in
guage Picture. Its positive critical reception led ina local production of “Death of a Salesman.” Afternational film distributors to scope out Farhadi’s
ter their apartment
almost collapses
around them, they
rent a new place
owned by one of
their acting colleagues, Babak (Babak Karimi). They
are unsettled when
they discover that
the previous tenant, a woman of ill
repute, has left her
belongings in the
place, yet they try to
cope. In a nasty turn
of events, one of the
Shahab Hosseini (left) and Tareneh Alidoosti are an estranged couple in “The
Salesman.” Photo: Habib Majidi, courtesy of Cohen Media Group
ex-renter’s clients
comes to the apartment while Rana is alone at home taking a bath.
backlist, and two earlier works of his surfaced in
Thinking it is Emad coming home, she invites him
the West: “About Elly” (2009), released in 2015,
in, only to be knocked unconscious in the shower.
and this past year, “Fireworks Wednesday” (2006;
Rana avoids serious injury, but the incident
see my take in the April 2016 Hill Rag).
leaves
her shaken and Emad outraged. The quesNow that the West has caught up with Farhations then become how the couple will find the as-

58 H Hillrag.com

sailant and what action to take. The halting, disagreeable effort to answer these questions, at home
and during play rehearsals, transforms the peaceful
life of the Etesamis into growing tensions between
themselves and within their acting troupe. Eventually the play is performed, the culprit is found, and
a kind of recompense is exacted – in an extraordinary confession sequence – but the film ends with
uncertainties facing a now strained marriage.
“The Salesman” is an excellent bet to be one
of the five films nominated for Best Foreign Language picture. I would argue rightly so, because
Farhadi has again tapped his country’s Zeitgeist to
produce a thoughtful, ruminative drama fraught
with plausible dilemmas that allow his stable of
actors to shine.
Farhadi fans will recognize his leads. The
sturdy Hosseini was featured in “A Separation”
and was a co-lead in “About Elly.” The delicate
Alidoosti was a lead in “Fireworks Wednesday”
and had the title role in “About Elly.” Both are
used splendidly as a striving couple who are slowly, remorselessly driven to question each other and
themselves. They personify a marriage not so much
breaking apart as exhibiting hairline cracks that
may be hard to seal.

‘Toni Erdman’
Another Oscar prospect is the German “Toni Erdman,” a drama filtered through farce that has
earned accolades from international critics. Written and directed by Maren Ade, the film was the
consensus best movie of the year in the January

“Sight and Sound” annual magazine poll, voted on by more than
100 film writers. Whether Americans appreciate its humor is anyone’s guess, but it is a distinctive
work. (The film, with German
subtitles, is rated R and runs a
lengthy 162 minutes.)
The story introduces shambling Winfried (Peter Simonischek), a music teacher from
Aachen whose worldview could
hardly be more different from
that of his daughter Ines (Sandra
Hueller), a workaholic corporate
executive who is estranged from
her cutup father and involved
in a major deal in Bucharest. At
loose ends after the death of his
dog, Winfried flies to Bucharest
to surprise Ines, but his timing is
bad since she is at a crucial stage
in delicate corporate negotiations. Winfried tries to loosen his
daughter up with goofy pranks,
chides her stuffiness, and mocks
her barren business lifestyle. Yet,
just when Ines thinks Winfried
has left for Germany, he returns
as the flamboyant Toni Erdman, barely disguised in a rumpled suit, a bizarre wig, and grotesque fake teeth, claiming to be
her CEO’s “life coach.” As Toni,
Winfried is surprisingly bold and
wheedles his way into Ines’ circle. He’s impossible to ignore,
but through his mischief Ines
begins to see some of the absurdities of her own life, to the point
of bonding with dad.
Wags have cracked that
German comedy is a contradiction in terms, and I fear many in
the US may not get many laughs
from “Toni Erdman.” The lead
character, especially in disguise,
is so ludicrous as to be unbelievable – not the best premise for
comedy. When he shows up,
he appears more freaky than

February 2017 H 59

free spirit. The fact that anyone would pay him any attention, much less believe his ruse,
seems preposterous. Not helping, perhaps, is that the daughter is so expertly chilly that
much of the humor is banked.
What does work for this
reviewer is director Ade’s overall smart yet snarky take on international corporate life. The
airless meetings and cocktail
parties, the vapid business talk
(it is never clear in the film
what kind of “business” is being done), the stale hotel life –
all are valid reasons why Winfried wants Ines free of them.
And while the film works awfully hard, and at sobering length,
to make us chortle at this world,
the fact that it is depicted at all
in a movie is singular.

‘Julieta’
The great Spanish director Pedro Almodovar has been nominated four times for Academy Awards and won once with
“All about My Mother.” His
latest, his 20th feature film,
could place him in the category again. After misfiring with
the lurid farce “I’m So Excited”
(2013), Almodóvar returns to
drama and, surprisingly, takes
as his source three short stories
of Alice Munro published in
her collection “Runaway.” (The
film, now in theaters, is rated R
for mature themes and runs 99
minutes.)
“Julieta” stars Emma Suarez and Adriana Ugarte, playing the older and younger versions of the film’s titular
character. The film opens with
the older Julieta (Suarez) learning, after many years, of the
whereabouts of her long-estranged daughter Antia from

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the daughter’s old school friend.
As Julieta begins to write a journal about her life, we flash back
to the days when Julieta (now
played by Ugarte) encountered
a young fisherman, Xoan, on a
train and eventually came to live
with him on the coast. The couple have a daughter, but Julieta
loses her Xoan in a storm. The
film then shifts time, in a wonderfully staged two-shot, into Julieta’s life years later in Madrid,
when she finds her daughter has
abandoned her for reasons that
mystify her. The finale details Julieta’s effort to find and reconcile
with Antia.
As it turns out, Almodovar radically transforms the understatedness of Munro’s brothlike prose into his own pungent
gazpacho cinema. He does this
using some of his signature elements: striking shot selection
within a rich color palette, dashes of melodrama (here moderated somewhat) within intricate
plotting, and intense, credible
performances from his female
leads. Suarez and Ugarte may
not look very much like one another (the blonde hair is consistent), but their performances still
mesh splendidly through a similar sensibility and tone. “Julieta”
is a relatively muted Almodovar
but a fertile one.
Hill resident Mike Canning has
written on movies for the Hill Rag
since 1993 and is a member of
the Washington Area Film Critics Association. He is the author
of “Hollywood on the Potomac:
How the Movies View Washington,
DC.” His reviews and writings on
film can be found online at www.
mikesflix.com. u

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February 2017 H 61

B

by Jim Magner

ruce McNeil photographs
the Anacostia River. He is
in love with the drifting,
mysterious energy that
both separates and unifies
a city. It flows through the
dreams of a people and
the passions of the photographer. The result is the
difference between a snapshot and a work of art.
I wrote that six years ago. The river, the
land, and the sky still glow as one enveloping
cloak of possibility in each photograph. It’s more
than a picture of a place, it’s a state of mind: a
subconscious bonding of the real and the mys-

tical. It’s a euphoric trip to both the idyllic past
and conceivable future.
Bruce uses his enhanced “painterly” photography to express the “extravagant poetic and
lyrical beauty of the natural world.” He has been
capturing the possibilities of the Anacostia River for over 30 years and has expanded his vision
to its 13 tributaries, starting at the headwaters in
Sandy Spring. Backyard streams feed the river
that flows into the Potomac and, in a short distance, the Chesapeake. His message is that the
water in each creek has the same value as the
water in the main channel. To him that value is
inherent in all of our country’s rivers and lakes.
Bruce says he is now “busting loose,” expanding to all rivers in the area, the Patuxent
and Severn … and from the St. Lawrence to
the lower Mississippi.
He’s not trying to shame people to change
their ways. He never photographs debris or garbage to make you feel guilty. He wants you to envision how pristine the river was once, and how
it might be again if we care enough.

Visit the permanent exhibition of his river photographs in the historic George Washington House
in Bladensburg. Next month, you can see his work
in the Art and the City show of “REvisit” artists at the
Hill Center. That opening is on March 8, 6-8 p.m.

Jim Magner’s Thoughts on Art

I once wrote that the only thing more important than water was information about water. I
believed then, and still do, that if we could understand how and where we use it, we could better protect it. I said, Hey, we need to consolidate
not only geologic and hydrologic data, but also
include water law, local zoning, and the other
major human activities. We need to look at the
big picture and recognize water as an interrelated vascular system that feeds the earth.
That was 30 years ago. I drafted legislation and we had very prominent sponsors in the
House and Senate. I got to testify before Congress. Alas, the bill didn’t get far. Too much turfguarding and political nearsightedness.
Now I think the only thing more important than water is our attitude about water. Our

1025 FIRST ST SE 202.652.1009
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belief system is a prelude to collecting information and acquiring knowledge, not just data. We
have to be ready to admit some real problems.
And hurry up about it.
That’s the message that Bruce McNeil is
trying to get across by showing us what rivers
looked like before the machine age, and endowing them with as much beauty as possible. It’s
not an attempt to gloss over the damage humans
have done. Nor is it about making pretty pictures, although they certainly are that.
Here is the message: aesthetics is critically important but usually takes a second, or
third, seat to engineering. Why? We humans
evolved with a sense of what a healthy environment looks like. That’s how we survived. Much
of that was lost because we ignored our instincts,
which are based on something we call beauty.
We forgot that a beautiful landscape is a healthy
one for both man and beast.

At the Galleries
Hill Center Galleries
Old Naval Hospital
921 Pennsylvania. Ave. SE
Through Feb. 26
This terrific Hill Center event continues
through February and features a group show of
37 artists from the Capitol Hill Art League, plus
three solo exhibits.
“Phantasize” by Karen Cohen takes everyday images and creates “mythological visual stories” by employing digital manipulation tools,
layering textures and colors. The recreated photographs “reflect what lies within, by viewing
what is on the outside.”
“Time Tradition Exhibition,” Winston W.
Harris’ newest show, combines three separate
series into a conceptual theme to experiment
in printmaking. He recognizes the importance
of time as an event in itself. He “introduces two
disciplines into one format, transforming twodimensional prints, and reinventing the image
by recycling past artwork into a new identity.”
“Searching for Home” is a journey in
search of the source of the emotional feeling of
home. Marite Vidales, a native of Costa Rica,
features three series of acrylic and mixed media paintings: “Huacas of Peru”; “Transitions in
America”; and “Costa Rican Landscapes.” www.
hillcenterdc.org

“Vessels”
Capitol Hill Art League
545 Seventh St. SE
Feb. 4-28
Reception: Sat., Feb. 4, 5-7 p.m.
“Vessels” is the theme of the Capitol Hill
Art League’s exhibit. You will see “2D and 3D
vessels of all kinds – from ships to bowls to blood
vessels!” As always, expect a wide range of ideas
and themes, styles and techniques. The show is
juried by potter Chris Cooley. The Feb. 4 reception is, of course, open to the public. And as always there will be wine and cheese and conversation with the artists. www.chaw.org.

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Coming in March
“The Hill Rag’s Art and the City”
Hill Center Galleries
Old Naval Hospital
921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
March 8-April 30
Opening: March 8, 6-8 p.m.
For the past year I have revisited artists
whom I first profiled years ago. I wanted to
catch up with what they have been working on
and see how they have progressed in their ideas
about art and life. What I found was wonderful. Works by these 12 artists will show at the
Hill Center in March and April, opening on
March 8. All are top professionals and recognized leaders in their fields: Alan Braley, Tom
Bucci, Tati Kaupp, Matt Sesow, Jan Kern, Andrei Kushner, Anne Marchand, Ellen Cornett,
Dana Ellyn, Patrick Campbell, Barbara Nuss,
and, Bruce McNeil.
My “REvisit” profiles will accompany each
artist’s exhibit, as well as my “Thoughts” about
the themes and subjects of their work. The
range of ideas, theories, and techniques is truly
exciting. You won’t see a show of this quality and
stunning professionalism again. If you are thinking about buying, get there early because each
has an extended collector base and wide following. The show is sponsored by the Hill Rag.
Also in March, I begin the 15th year of this
column. I will profile new artists and occasionally revisit a previously profiled artist.
A Capitol Hill artist and writer, Jim Manger can be
reached at Artandthecity05@aol.com. His awardwinning book, “A Haunting Beauty,” can be acquired through www.ahauntingbeauty.com. u

February 2017 H 63

the

LITERARY HILL

A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events

The Kid in the Capitol
When we first meet Boot, he’s being chased
through the Senate chamber after lacing the lawmakers’ candy dish with dead cockroaches. It’s
not exactly a fair fight. His pursuer is burdened
down by the security hardware on his belt as well
as by “an extra seventy-five pounds (at least) that
he can’t blame on his uniform.” Boot, on the other hand, is a wiry 13-year-old who knows every escape cranny in the US Capitol. Why? Because
he lives there.
“Capitol Kid,” Bill Gourgey’s new youngadult novel, offers a compelling blend of adventure, technology, politics, and social issues all in
one thrilling ride. Our homeless hero, Boot, has
fled his house in Southeast after fighting back
against his mother’s drug dealer. Threatened and
desperate, he finds his way into the Capitol and
holes up in an abandoned room in the basement,
where he takes up his favorite pastime—hacking.
When his surveillance reveals a sinister plot
to push through a bill that would turn the nation’s
schools into workhouses for the poor, Boot is
forced to take on the powers that be—thereby putting his life at risk on both sides of the Anacostia.
In the course of his high-stakes game, Boot
comes to learn that the Capitol and the area
where he grew up may not be as different as he’d
thought. “Now that I’ve seen them in action,” he
says, “members of Congress are a lot like gang
members: sticking to their turf, taking bribes, selling votes, spying, sabotage…” Happily, Boot is
one brilliant, brave, and sassy kid who can hold
his own anywhere, whether on the street or in
halls of the US Capitol.

In a new YA novel,
a homeless young
hacker ﬁnds himself
embroiled in a political conspiracy at the
US Capitol.

64 H Hillrag.com

by Karen Lyon

Bill Gourgey frequently writes about science
and technology and is also the award-winning author of “The Glide Trilogy.” Find him at https://
gourgey.com

Hoofing It in DC
Ken Wilcox thinks Washington is a great place for
“itchy feet.” He should know. The author spent
two years walking hundreds of miles in and around
the Metro DC area, taking notes and photos. The
result is “A National Jaunt: Footster’s Guide to
Washington, D.C.”
A handy size to tuck into your backpack, the
book is an ideal walking companion. For hardy
Tuck this new guide into your backpack and take a walking tour of the National Mall—or Capitol Hill.
souls, Wilcox sets out a 12-mile loop around the
National Mall, helpfully broken up into seven secnealogical articles for journals and lecturing around
tions, offering detailed descriptions, pictures, and
the country. In 2015, he published an expanded edihistory lessons on every building, memorial, and park
tion of “Only a Few Bones” that includes his artiyou’ll pass on the way. For the less energetic, he ofcles on how to tell your own family’s history—“so
fers a gentler series of four shorter loops that can be
the book is no longer just an historical narrative,” he
spread out over several days—or, as he suggests, exexplains, “but instructive as well.” He also updated
plored through different seasons.
his research and added new information to reflect
Wilcox also presents walking tours of more than
changing sensibilities, demonstrating that “exploraa dozen sites in what he calls “the National Nearby,”
tion of the past is an ongoing, never-ending process.”
including Georgetown, Embassy Row, and the AnaIn addition, Colletta’s lectures are now availcostia Riverwalk. His Capitol Hill loop begins at the
able as audio or video recordings in “Discovering
Library of Congress and includes such sites as the old
Your Roots: An Introduction to Genealogy,” part
Christ Church, the boyhood home of John Phillip
of the “Great Courses” series, and he has been reSousa, Barracks Row, Lincoln Park and, of course,
searching a new book that takes place in WashingEastern Market.
ton in the 1850s, 60s and 70s (“Lord, help me!”
Packed with maps, information, and resourche writes).
es, “A National Jaunt” sets forth flexible game plans
On Feb. 11, Colletta will present “Researching
both for first-time visitors daunted by the monumental
Your Genealogy: A Journey of Self-Discovery,” a dayvistas of the nation’s capital and for seasoned natives
long Smithsonian Associates seminar at the Ripley
who want a fresh perspective on our magnificent—
Center (www.smithsonianassociates.org). And in the
and highly walkable—city.
fall, he’ll offer a program about writing up the stories
Ken Wilcox has worked for many years as an
revealed through that research.
outdoor recreation planner, with a specialty in trail
Colletta is also the author of “They Came in
planning and design. For more, visit www.anationalShips:
A Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancesjaunt.com.
tor’s Arrival Record” and “Finding Italian Roots.”
Visit him at www.genealogyjohn.com.
Family Matters
When we last caught up with Hill writer John Philip
Colletta, he had just finished a new book, “Only a Few
Bones: The True Account of the Rolling Fork Tragedy.” In it, he told the story of his great great grandfather, who owned a plantation in Mississippi and was
killed in a tragic fire as a result of a slave revolt.
Colletta has been busy since then, writing ge-

On the Hill in February
East City Bookshop presents the first installment of
“Book by Its Cover,” a new series of literature-inspired rock shows produced by Goldpants Rentals,
with the Proper Pets and Tom Caiazza, Feb. 3, 7pm
(tix $12 online or $15 at the door); the ECB Fiction

“The Life of a Poet:
Conversations with
Ron Charles” featuring Brenda Shaughnessy, Feb 7, 7pm.
Free, but register at
www.hillcenterdc.
org or 202-549-4172.
The Library of
Congress presents a
reading and discussion with poet and
translator Forrest
Gander, author of
“Then Come Back:
The Lost Neruda,” Feb. 14, 4pm;
and “The Original
Black Elite: Daniel Murray and the
Story of a Forgotten
Era,” with author
Elizabeth Dowling Taylor, Feb. 14,
noon. www.loc.gov
Smithsonian Associates begins a fourpart series, “Reading the Gilded Age
Authors,” starting
with Edith Wharton’s “The House
of Mirth,” Feb. 13,
6:45pm; and presents “Researching
Your Genealogy: A
Journey of Self-Discovery,” a day-long
seminar with John
Colletta, Feb. 11,
9:30am; and “Rumi:
The Sound of One
Soul Speaking,” an
exploration of the
13th-century Persian poet, March 1,
6:45pm. www.smithsonianassociates.org
u

C poet Kim Roberts coedits two literary journals,
“Beltway Poetry Quarterly” and the “Delaware Poetry Review,” and teaches at the Folger
Shakespeare Library. She is the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities,
Humanities DC, and the DC Commission on the Arts, as well as grants
to be a writer-in-residence at 15 artist colonies. Her fifth book of poems, “The Scientific Method,” combines poems about Thomas Edison’s
laboratory and Carl Sagan’s turtleneck with her rich and unique impressions of art, history, and nature.
From ruminations on clams and T-cells to impressions of an after-hours kindergarten class, she turns what one reviewer calls her “passionate microscope”
on a breathtaking array of subjects. In the poem below, she zeroes in on a familiar landmark. Visit her at www.kimroberts.org.
If you would like to have your poem considered for publication, please send it to
klyon@literaryhillbookfest.org. (There is no remuneration.) u

Sonnet for the U.S. Capitol Dome
Driving down North Cap some afternoons
that vista looks so fake, a cardboard dome
pasted on a summer album’s page.
When Congress is in session, winter nights
they light the topknot, called the lantern—bright
and merry as a party. Dante wrote:
“Cut off from hope, we go on in desire.”
Picabia once said, “The head is round
so thoughts can change direction.” Every Fall,
a plague of crows like freshmen senators
ascends the Hill in dancing shrouds. They roost
among a palisade of narrow spikes
placed evenly amid the cast iron ribs,
and oil their squeaky wings for a new season.

February 2017 H 65

66 H Hillrag.com

{capitol
streets}

Bulletin
Board
Capitol Hill
Community
Foundation
Achievement
Awards

diately across the river. By
turning surplus highway
spans into spaces for people to walk, play, learn and
gather; for art to be exhibited; for views of the city
to be admired; its Executive Director Scott Kratz is
leading a crucial effort to
stimulate community and
urban growth while uniting Wards 6 and 8.
CHCF’s Gala on
Wed., April 26, honors
Lewis, the contributions
of Lewis, the Parks and
Kratz. The 34th Gala,
which takes place at the
Folger Shakespeare Library, is a fundraiser for
CHCF and is open to the
public. For more information, call Dee Seward
at 202-547- 3742; or visit
www.capitolhillcommunityfoundation.com.

This spring the Capitol
Hill Community Foundation (CHCF) will honor Geoff Lewis, founder
of Capitol Hill Village;
and Steve and Mary Park,
founders and leaders of
Little Lights Urban Ministries at Potomac Gardens
Public Housing, with its
Community Achievement Awards. CHCF will
bestow the second annual Steve Cymrot “Spark”
Community Achievement
Ricardo, a Special Olympics athlete. Photo: Courtesy of Special Olympics DC.
Award on Scott Kratz, executive director of the
Special Olympics Polar Plunge at Nats Park
11th Street Bridge Park
This annual event is one of Special Olympics’ biggest fundraisers. It sustains their many programs
Project, which will also
that provide recreational and lifestyle support to those with disabilities. Individuals or teams register
receive CHCF’s 2016 Arat specialolympicsdc.org/event/polar-plunge-2017, set up a Personal Plunge page where their supnold B. Keller, Jr. award of
porters can donate. Then on Feb. 11, noon to 4 p.m., jump in a giant pool of ice water to the de$10,000
light of hundreds of spectators and fellow plungers.
SW’s Waterfront
The Capitol Hill VilVillage Launches
lage celebrates a decade of
Mark your calendar for Feb. 13, 4 to 7 p.m., when the full launch of Waterfront
service to Capitol Hill’s older residents, helping them remain in their homes
Village coincides with the 15th anniversary of the senior village movement.
and in our community. It was Geoff Lewis whose vision and energy brought
The event will include an Aging-in-Place Expo, a live national broadcast of Dr.
the Village into being (www.capitolhillvillage.org). His fellow honorees, Steve
Atul Guwandi from Boston’s Beacon Hill Village and a champagne reception
and Mary Park, have been improving conditions at Potomac Gardens and Hopto toast the launch of the District’s 12th senior village. The Aging in Place Expo
kins Public Housing for twenty years. Their organization, Little Lights Minisis at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, 555 Water St. SW. Read more at dcwatry (www.littlelights.org), organizes volunteers to provide an array of programs
terfrontvillage.org.
from after school tutoring and summer camps to a choir and quiet mentoring.
Senior villages typically offer services to area residents aged 62 or older to
The 11th Street Bridge Park will soon become a tangible link between
allow them to remain in their homes. These services go from the mundane to
Capitol Hill and the neighborhood of Historic Anacostia neighborhood imme-

February 2017 H 67

{capitol streets}

Former Jan’s Tutoring House (JTH) tutor Maura Kennedy catches
up with program graduate Janice Springer at the organization’s
2016 Red Carpet Benefit. Springer graduated from Smith College
in 2006 and works as an associate at the American Federation of
Teachers. Kennedy, who also joined the JTH board in 2016, is a
long-time Capitol Hill resident. Photo: Amy Hubbard

Jan’s Tutoring House Holds Sixth Annual
Red Carpet Celebration
Jan’s Tutoring House will hold its sixth annual Red Carpet Celebration on Oscar Night, Sunday, Feb. 26, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at
Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
“Spotlight on Students!” is the theme for the celebration which
is held while Hollywood celebrities walk the red carpet into the
Academy Awards. All proceeds support the organization’s work.
JTH has provided educational services, mentoring and tutoring
to local underserved children and youth in the Capitol Hill and
Hill East area for more than 25 years. Suggested donations start
at $25 but higher levels of sponsorship are also available: Tickets are available at janstutoringhouse.org. For more information,
call 202-547-1345.
the professional. Senior villages rely on a volunteer
staff who provide home maintenance, assistance
with shopping and medical appointments, health
and fitness counseling and social events.

Buzzard Point-From Indians
to Soccer
On March 6 at 7:30 p.m., local historian and
professional tour guide Hayden Wetzel examines Buzzard Point SW in an Overbeck Lecture at the Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave.

68 H Hillrag.com

SE. After the Indian habitation of
the area, Buzzard Point attracted
the attention of early 1800s speculators, city planners, market gardeners, numerous small industry owners and a small residential
community. Wetzel’s PowerPoint
presentation will cover the soccer
stadium and other plans for the
area. Register at hillcenterdc.org/
home/programs/2511 or call 202549- 4172. Seating will begin at
7 p.m. for those who hold reservations. Available seats will be released to guests on the waiting list
beginning at 7:15 p.m.

Free Tax Help at
Southwest Library

Homebuying 101

Water Wizards Senior Swim
Open House

On Feb. 28, 6:30 to 8 p.m., join
Joel Nelson and Ned Kraemer of
Keller Williams Capital Properties
for an informative seminar on buying a home. These veteran guides
to Capitol Hill’s real estate market
will map out the steps of buying a
first home, from loan pre-approval through settling in to a dream
home. Tips will be provided for refining a location search, evaluating property specifics, negotiating
a successful contract, executing
terms and conducting a smooth
and stress free closing. Free. Register at hillcenterdc.org.

My Brother’s Keeper

Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has
launched DC’s My Brother’s
Keeper initiative (MBK-DC) to
provide programming for boys and
young men of color in four key areas: education, justice, health and job opportunities. Seeking to develop coalitions with public and private sector leaders, MBK-DC is part of
President Obama’s MBK Community Challenge.
Upcoming MBK-DC events include a series of
community roundtable discussions, summer programming and a summit. For more information
on how to get involved, contact MBK-DC coordinator Kendrick Jackson at kendrick.jackson@
dc.gov.

On Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. through April 12 meet
with a qualified AARP tax aide at Southwest Library,
900 Wesley Pl. SW, to help answer tax questions and
prepare a 2016 income tax filing. For more information and to find other sites offering tax assistance,
visit dclibrary.org/incometax.

50+ DC residents want to learn to swim, improve
water skills or compete in local and national events
are invited to meet the Water Wizards on Feb. 9, 9 to
11 a.m. at Rumsey Aquatic Center, 635 North Carolina Ave. SE. Water Wizards work with an amazing coach to have fun and improve health, all at the
same time. It’s free. Please wear deck shoes.

The CHRS Capitol Hill Home
Photo Contest
In anticipation of the 60th anniversary of the Capitol Hill House and Garden Tour (May 13 & 14),
CHRS is sponsoring a photo contest. Take an exterior shot of what you think makes a home a Capitol Hill home and email it to houseTourCHRS@
gmail.com. Submissions are du February 25, 2017.
Winner will receive House Tour tickets; finalists
will be published in the Hill Rag. For more info
visit chrs.org/photo-contest.

Valentine’s Skate Night at Canal
Park Ice Rink
On Tuesday, Feb. 14, 5-10 p.m. enjoy a romantic
skating evening for Valentine’s Couples at Canal
Park. The rink will be romantically decorated, acapella groups will perform, and couples can take the
memories with them by snapping photos at a photo
booth. For a $60 (+ tax & tip) package deal, couples can enjoy a pre-fixe dinner for two at il Parco
including a bottle of sparkling wine and skate admission. Call il Parco to RSVP at 202-484-0699.
capitolriverfront.org/canal-park.

Thomas Landscapes
Over 20 Years of Experience

REDEFINING BEAUTY ONE CLIENT AT A TIME!

Author Events at East
City Bookshop
On Feb. 7, 7 p.m., poet Brenda
Shaughnessy will read and discuss her work at The Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
On Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m., join a
panel of Key West Literary Seminar alumni for a reading and discussion featuring local author
Paula Whyman alongside Ted
Wheeler, Jay Desphande, Amina Gautier, and Sam Slaughter.
On Feb. 10, 6 p.m., OutWrite
and East City Bookshop present
an evening of readings by queer
authors featuring Everett Maroon, Risa Denenberg, David
Eye & Craig L. Gidney, moderated by Joe Okonkwo. Feb. 11,
2 p.m., Liz Kay, author of Monsters: A Love Story, will read and
discuss her work alongside Amy
Hassinger (After the Dam) and
Seema Reza (When the World
Breaks Open). On Feb. 16, 6:30
p.m., Michaele Weissman, author of God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee,
will read and discuss her work,
with a free coffee tasting provided by Peregrine Coffee. On Feb.
23, 6:30 p.m., Margaux Bergen
will discuss her self-enrichment
book, Navigating Life: Lessons I
Wish My Mother Had Told Me.
Feb. 25, 2 p.m., Stephen Mackey will discuss Dream, Build, Believe: The Founding of Notaviva
Vineyards, with a free wine tasting. East City Bookshop is at 645
Pennsylvania Ave. SE. eastcitybookshop.com.

EMULSION—East
City Art Regional
Show
EMULSION 2017, March 3-16,
is an exhibition open to artists
who reside or work in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan

301.642.5182 | WWW.THOMASLANDSCAPES.COM
DEREK THOMAS / PRINCIPAL
Certified Professional Horticulturist
Member of the MD Nursery and Landscape Association
Member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers

February 2017 H 69

{capitol streets}

area within a 50 mile radius of East City Art’s offices on Capitol Hill. This year’s exhibition is at PEPCO Edison Place Gallery, 702 Eighth St. NW.
Here’s the schedule of events: March 3 (March
10, snow date), Opening Reception and Award
Announcements; March 7 and 9, 6 p.m., Artist
Talk; March 16, Closing Reception. eastcityart.
com/emulsion.

Jill Strachan, CHAW’s Executive
Director, Retires
The Board of Directors of The Capitol Hill Arts
Workshop (CHAW) have announced the spring
2017 retirement of CHAW’s long-time Executive
Director Jill Strachan, who has led the organization
since 2007. The Board has appointed Amy Moore
and Hannah Jacobson Blumenfeld as Co-Executive
Directors to succeed her. As she transitions to retirement, Strachan will serve CHAW in a support role.
Simultaneously, Amy Moore, CHAW’s director of
Education and Programs since February 2008, and
Hannah Jacobson Blumenfeld, CHAW’s director of
Marketing, Development, and Strategy since September 2014, will take on new roles. They will be
jointly responsible for the management, oversight
and future of the organization. chaw.org.

Nerds in NoMa Returns
The District’s favorite, nerdy speaker series, “Nerds
in NoMa,” returns with a new set of fresh, DC-centric topics. This free panel discussion takes place
every third Tuesday through April 18 from 6 to 8
p.m. at 1200 First St. NE. Every month, bring a
happy hour crowd to Nerds in NoMa for drinks
and discovery. Learn more about current events,
and the city from DC specialists and gurus. Wine,
beer and snacks are available. Here’s the line-up:
Feb. 21, DC Visual Arts: the reasons it is important
for DC to have an arts identity and how to keep
artists in the city; March 21, City. Smarter. Neighborhood Spotlight: NoMa-based think tanks and
non-profits making NoMa and the world a better
place; April 18, Greening the City: the importance
of having green space in the urban landscape. All
Nerds events are free and open to the public. nomabid.org/nerds-in-noma.

ANC6C Accepting
Grant Applications
The ANC6C Grants Committee is accepting applications for grants from non-profits on four dates

70 H Hillrag.com

in 2017. Grant applications are due to the Committee on Feb. 9, May 11, Aug. 17 and Nov. 2. Any
non-profit organizations with a 501(c)(3) determination from the IRS can apply. Those organizations do not need to be located within the ANC 6C
boundaries, however, projects do need to provide
services that are public in nature and benefit persons who reside or work within the commission. A
complete application must have a cover sheet using the approved form, project description, budget, project outcome and supporting documents.
More information on how to apply can be found
at anc6c.org or by writing to the Committee at anc6c.grants@gmail.com.

Valentine Concert & Wine Tasting
On Feb. 11, 7 to 9 p.m., Capitol Hill Presbyterian
Church is having their second annual “Sparkling
Wine Tasting & Valentine Pop Concert.” The event
features area singers and musicians performing the
great love songs from each decade of the past 100
years followed by a sparkling wine tasting led by the
DCWineWonk. Music, wine and childcare are included in the price: $30 for one; $55 for two and $100
for four. The Valentine Concert & Wine Tasting raises funds to provide meals for those in need. Sponsors this year are Marsh Strategies, Tightline Strategies, AH Publications, Schneider’s of Capitol Hill
and DCWineWonk. Capitol Hill Presbyterian is at
201 Fourth St. SE. Call 202-547-8676, for more information. Tickets are at capitolhillpreschurch.org.

The Highline at
320 Florida Ave. NE
The Highline, a $100 million apartment community is being developed at 320 Florida Ave. NE. The
project includes 318 luxury apartments including
four penthouse units and approximately 10,000
square feet of first floor retail space. Inspired by
New York’s meatpacking district and the elevated
park known as the High Line, the 12-story, modern-industrial architectural design integrates warehouse-style windows with industrial-framed glass
cubes that weave in and out of its Florida Avenue
façade at varying depths. Other unique elements
of the design include materials reminiscent of rail
cars and steel columns that echo the riveted steel
supports of the nearby railroad underpass. Located one block from the NoMa/Gallaudet Red Line
Metro Station, The Highline will also provide a significant pedestrian connection between the NoMa

and Union Market neighborhoods through the construction of an adjacent park.
Thirteen 3-bedroom townhomes will be built
off-site in ANC 5B in conjunction with DC Habitat
and set aside for households earning no more than
50 percent of the area median income (AMI). In addition, four percent of The Highline’s units will be
set aside for households earning no more than 80
percent of the AMI.

Free Small Business
Legal Advice
The DC Bar Pro Bono Center holds a small business clinic aimed at meeting the needs of the deaf
entrepreneur and small business population on
Feb. 15 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in the I. King Jordan
Student Academic Center at Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Ave. NE. Existing or an aspiring
small business owners can meet one-on-one with
an attorney at this free advice clinic. There will be
American Sign Language interpreters available for
the deaf entrepreneur community but this clinic
is open to all. Those with questions may contact
Darryl Maxwell at dmaxwell@dcbar.org or 202-7374700, ext. 3369.

DC Goodwill Free Local Donation
Pickup Service
Goodwill of Greater Washington has launched a
pilot program that allows donors to mail their donations to Goodwill through the US Postal Service
for free. Donors must place their gifts of clothing,
shoes, and accessories into a box. Then they can visit DCGoodwill.org to schedule a pick-up through
the US Postal Service. They can print and affix a
mailing label and then place the box on their front
porch for pick up. Upon receipt, Goodwill will
email the donor an IRS compliant donation receipt.

Allen to Chair Committee on
Public Safety and the Judiciary
Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) has
been named the chair of the Council’s Committee
on Public Safety and the Judiciary. The Committee
oversees the Metropolitan Police Department, the
Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department,
Office of the Attorney General, Homeland Security
and Emergency Management Agency, the Office of
Unified Communications, the Board of Elections
and the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability. In addition, Councilmember Allen will also

serve on the committees on Education, Health, and Transportation & the Environment.

Allen Announces
Additions to Staff
Councilmember Allen has
named Andy Le his new Director
of Communications. Le served as
Senior Director of Digital Strategy at the US Department of Education. He also led digital engagement at DC Water and DC
Public Schools. Le is a graduate
of James Madison University.
Allen has named Kate
Mitchell as his Committee Director for the Committee on the
Judiciary and Public Safety. She is
a graduate of Smith College and
University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law. Chanell
Autrey was named Deputy Committee Director for the Committee on the Judiciary and Public
Safety. A District native, Autrey
attended Ward 6’s Jefferson Middle School, before graduating
from School Without Walls High
School, Pennsylvania State University and The George Washington University Law School.

Valentine’s Day with
City Wildlife
Fall in love with City Wildlife at
the third annual Valentine’s Day
Open House Feb. 12, 11 a.m. to
5 p.m. Once a year, City Wildlife
is open to the public for a familyfriendly behind-the-scenes look at
the District’s first and only wildlife rehabilitation center. For a
suggested $10 donation, visitors
will get a tour of the facility, meet
and talk with the staff and enjoy light refreshments. RSVP to
info@citywildlife.org or call 202882-1000. citywildlife.org.
City Wildlife, 15 Oglethorpe St. NW, is a non-profit orga-

nization dedicated to the care of sick, orphaned
and injured native wildlife with the goal of releasing animals back to the wild. Last year, City Wildlife cared for over 1400 animals including small
mammals such as squirrels, opossums, dozens of
species of birds, as well as reptiles and amphibians.

Anacostia Sewage/
Tunnel Completed

On Feb. 25, 1 p.m., Southwest Library hosts a discussion of “The Hemingses of Monticello” by Annette Gordon Reed. Copies are available for checkout at the information desk. Southwest Library is at
900 Wesley Pl. SW. dclibrary.org/southwest.

On Jan. 5, DC Water pulled “Nannie,” the 1,200ton tunnel boring machine, from the ground now
that she has completed her 12,384-linear-foot journey. The boring machine has been underground
since November 2015 digging an enormous tunnel
from near RFK Stadium to Poplar Point. The tunnel is part of the Clean Rivers Project and connects
to a different tunnel dug by ‘Lady Bird’ two years before. The work is part of DC Water’s ongoing efforts
to improve water quality by eliminating most combined sewer overflows in the District of Columbia.

11th Street Bridge
Park Tour

Mayor Signs GPS
Monitoring Legislation

The Hemingses of Monticello

On March 30, 5:30 to 7 p.m., learn about the
11th Street Bridge Park, a project of Ward 8 based
nonprofit Building Bridges Across the River at
THEARC. The project puts inclusivity and equity first. It will provide meaningful and rich cultural
programming to District residents seeking the improvement of the lives of residents in some of DC’s
most underserved communities. The tour starts
with a presentation inside the Miracle Theater,
535 Eighth St. SE, followed by a site tour giving
an insider’s perspective on the park’s history, design
and updates. RSVP at bridgepark.org/event/bridgepark-tour-march.

Mayor’s Arts Awards Call for
Nominations
Nominations for individuals and organizations are
being accepted for awards in the following categories: Excellence in Visual Arts; Excellence in Performing Arts; Excellence in Arts Education; Excellence in Creative Industries; Excellence in the
Humanities; The Larry Neal Writers’ Award for
Adults and Youth. Only online applications will
be accepted no later than Friday, Feb. 24, 4 p.m.
(EST). For more information, contact Ebony C.
Brown, Special Events Manager at ebony.brown@
dc.gov or JaKenna Martin, Special Events Associate jakenna.martin@dc.gov or 202-724-5613. Read
more at dcarts.dc.gov/page/MAA2017.
The Mayor’s Arts Awards are the most prestigious honors conferred by the District on individual artists, teachers nonprofit organizations. The DC
Commission on the Arts and Humanities will present the 32nd Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards at the Historic Lincoln Theatre in September 2017.

72 H Hillrag.com

Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has signed legislation
that makes it a criminal offense for persons on probation or parole to tamper with GPS monitoring
devices. The legislation, part of the Mayor’s Safer
Stronger DC initiative, closes a critical loophole
that allowed individuals on supervised release who
were ordered to wear electronic monitoring devices to go unpunished after removing, disabling, or
tampering with the device. Under the new law, any
agency that can order a person on supervised release to wear a GPS monitoring device, such as the
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency,
the Pretrial Services Agency and the Department
of Youth Rehabilitation Services, can enforce attempts at tampering with the device. Individuals
found guilty of tampering with their GPS monitoring devices can face up to six months in jail.

Financially Fit
DC Initiative Launched
The District government has launched “Financially Fit DC.” a comprehensive financial literacy program designed to empower all District residents to
take control of their financial health. Financially Fit
DC is driven by a web-based financial assessment
tool that guides participants through the process of
creating a workable budget, checking credit, purchasing a home and planning for retirement. The
tool helps participants identify short-term needs and
set lifetime goals through a personalized financial
roadmap. This innovative approach aims to foster
behavioral changes that will positively impact individuals and families over the long-term.
Throughout the year, the District will host
community-focused clinics that connect residents

to financial services. These clinics will address a variety of topics including: gaining access to financial
resources by using the federal Earned Income Tax
Credit program, building a savings account, preventing financial fraud, preparing for retirement,
and utilizing DISB’s Bank on DC program, a collaborative effort to create greater access to mainstream financial services in order to avoid potential high costs and fees. For more information, visit
financiallyfitdc.com.

DC Solid Waste
Diversion Progress Report
The Department of Public Works has released
the District’s first-ever Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Solid Waste Diversion Progress Report. The report,
available at dpw.dc.gov/wastediversionreport, provides an overview of the District’s waste diversion
programs and initiatives. It also provides waste generation and diversion rate data to assist District stakeholders in working together to achieve its waste diversion goals.

New Veterans Housing Program
Opens
On Jan. 12, Mayor Muriel Bowser joined US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián
Castro; US Secretary of Veteran Affairs Bob McDonald; and DC residents to celebrate the ribbon cutting and opening of the John and Jill Ker
Conway Residence at North Capitol Commons,
1005 North Capitol St. NW. Named after the late
World War II veteran and his wife, the John and
Jill Ker Conway Residence includes 60 units of
permanent supportive housing for veterans experiencing homelessness and 64 units for District
residents who meet the income requirements for
affordability. The building has 12 floors and 124
efficiencies, 60 of which are fully furnished. Residents will receive assistance with health needs
through case managers.
District landlords with available, affordable
housing are encouraged to partner with the District to help sustain the work that has been accomplished thus far for veterans. For more information,
contact newleaseonlife@dc.gov.
Have an item for the Bulletin Board? Email bulletinboard@hillrag.com. u

GET IN THE BEST
SHAPE EVER!
GET IN THE BEST SHAPE EVER!
IT’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK.

Partner with
Pattie Cinelli to:

• Learn how to lose
weight without dieting
• Find an exercise
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and that works
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Choose a single, partner or group session
in your home, office, or Sport&Health Club

Schedule a wellness consultation to learn your options

202.544.0177

fitness@pattiecinelli.com • pattiecinelli.com

Submission deadline extended to

February 25

For more info: chrs.org/photo-contest
Winner will receive House Tour tickets;
finalists will be published
in the Hill Rag

We welcome nominations of houses for the tour.
Please let us know if you or a neighbor would be
willing to consider opening your homes

onald Trump famously campaigned on promises to “make
America great again” by fighting
for working people. Yet his nominee for Secretary of Labor, Andrew Puzder, has a long history of fighting against
workers’ rights, both at his own companies and
from a policy standpoint. He is
the wrong choice for Labor Secretary. Puzder’s nomination would
be confirmation that the District
needs to continue charting its own
path to helping workers, especially
the least powerful. That includes a
strong minimum wage, paid family
and medical leave, and protections
against workplace abuses.

by Ilana Boivie
an age, sex, or race discrimination case.”
Yet perhaps most telling are the abuses of
workers’ rights at Puzder’s own companies. Department of Labor investigations uncovered violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act at 60 percent
of Carl’s Jr. restaurants (whose parent company,
CKE, is owned by Puzder) over the last seven

Puzder’s Awful Record as
an Employer
The US Department of Labor’s
mission is to “foster, promote, and
develop the welfare of the wage
earners, job seekers, and retirees
of the United States; improve
working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related
benefits and rights.” Puzder’s own
record on these issues has been
the exact opposite. His actions
and policies have served to undermine workplace standards, rights,
and benefits.
Puzder has voiced opposition
to raising the minimum wage, providing paid sick leave to employees, and expanding overtime rules.
He has expressed almost overt disdain for lower-wage work, stating
that replacing workers with automation makes
sense because machines are “always polite, they
always upsell, they never take a vacation, they
never show up late, there’s never a slip-and-fall, or

76 H Hillrag.com

group of restaurant workers and supporters. Onethird faced situations where they were not fully
paid – “wage theft” – including not receiving required breaks or overtime pay. And 79 percent reported preparing food while sick.
Since 2000, when Puzder became CEO of
CKE, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s have been served
with more employment discriminations lawsuits than any other
hamburger chain in the country.
The lawsuits include allegations of
racial and gender discrimination,
as well as sexual harassment.
When asked about disrespectful depictions of women in Carl’s
Jr. and Hardee’s advertising, Puzder was unapologetic, stating, “I
like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis. I think it’s very American.” A company release claimed,
“We believe in putting hot models
in our commercials, because ugly
ones don’t sell burgers.”

DC Should Continue Taking
the High Road

years. Two-thirds of women working at CKE restaurants have experienced unwanted sexual behaviors at work, according to a survey by Restaurant Opportunities Center United, a membership

In recent years the District of Columbia has passed laws and policies to protect and advance workers’ rights and benefits, including
many of those opposed by Puzder,
such as providing paid sick and
safe leave, increasing the minimum wage, expanding wage-theft
prevention, and providing paid
family and medical leave. These
policies will help to better the
lives of tens of thousands of lower-income DC residents. They are
likely to come with little or no drag
on the DC economy, as years of research on these
policies has found.
Yet more needs to be done to serve the city’s
most vulnerable. Income inequality in the Dis-

trict of Columbia is among
the highest in the nation and
continues to grow. In a booming economy, average income for the poorest DC residents actually fell to $9,300
in 2014, from $10,800 in
2007. Since 1980 wages have
fallen, adjusting for inflation,
for DC workers with less than
a bachelor’s degree, while increasing for those with the
most advanced education.
Meanwhile the cost of living
continues to rise, making it
harder and harder for families to make ends meet.
While the District of
Columbia has been a leader
in providing stronger workers’ rights and benefits, Department of Labor rules
and regulations are still important to residents. For example, former President
Obama’s proposed overtime
rule would have boosted the
pay of some 29,000 working
DC residents, nearly onequarter of the city’s total salaried workforce. Puzder has
been publicly critical of the
overtime rule, stating that
“it will be another barrier to
the middle class rather than
a springboard.”
We need a Labor Secretary who will push for
policies that advance the mission of the Department of
Labor and put working Americans first. Puzder is not
that person.
Ilana Boivie is senior policy analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www.dcfpi.org), which
conducts research on tax and
budget issues that affect lowand moderate-income DC residents. u

February 2017 H 77

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Maury Has Good Options for Modernization
Debate Focuses on Capacity and Timeline

F

rustrations over a lack of vision for the
modernizations of Ward 6’s public
schools bubbled over after a meeting on
Jan. 12 updating the status on projects at
Maury Elementary (1250 Constitution
Ave. NE) and Jefferson Academy (801 Seventh St.
SW). Jefferson’s renovation is straightforward. DC
Public Schools (DCPS) has planned small fixes
around the school as the building waits for construction to start in 2020. Those fixes include updated science labs, outside door replacement, and
HVAC repair.
Maury is a feeder school for Jefferson. Its renovation is scheduled to finish in August 2018. But
Maury faces a significant sizing and capacity problem after DCPS failed to update enrollment estimates following unanticipated rapid growth in the
surrounding neighborhood. At the meeting, DCPS
and Department of General Services (DGS) representatives proposed four scenarios. Two would keep
the construction dates on track; the third and fourth
would expand the building’s capacity and push back
the completion date. The fourth option would
also require demolishing millions worth of already completed renovations and increase the budget by about
$15 million.

by Christine Rushton
Growth of Enrollment Not Foreseen
Enrollment estimates at Maury were off the mark in
the planning process for modernization, so the capacity projections are not compatible with the estimated future enrollment, said Ward 6 State Board of
Education representative Joe Weedon. Enrollment
projections increased to 513 in 2020, more than the
building’s current capacity of 457 students, DCPS
spokesperson Janae Hinson said. This increase,
while it shows positive support from the community, requires amendments to the modernization plan
set to start in late summer 2017.

impact the programming at each site and logistics
for families.

Option Two: New Boundaries
DCPS offered to redraw the boundaries set in 2014
to shrink the area the school serves. Current students would remain in school, but it would alter future enrollment. This plan doesn’t change the timeline or budget for the current project, but it leaves
no room for future growth at Maury and disrupts
families with siblings who may not be able to attend the same school.

Option One: Cluster Model

Option Three: Expanding the Current Building

The first approach is to create a cluster between
Maury and Miner Elementary (601 15th St. NE).
The in-bounds families would be in a combined
boundary area, and the buildings would split by
grade, Maury taking the upper grades, Miner the
lower of the preK-3 to fifth-grade levels.
While this solves the capacity problem and
keeps the construction timeline on track, DCPS’s
representative did warn that it would significantly

One idea would increase the enrollment capacity to
539 by building out several parts of the existing 1886
and 1961 structures. This would include a larger
kitchen, a small two-story addition for classrooms,
a three-story addition to the multipurpose room for
classrooms and a lobby, and new playgrounds on
the west side of the addition. It would remain on the
same budget and timeline. DCPS warned that the
final project would eliminate play space, wouldn’t
meet certain educational specifications, and still
has a large number of students in a limited space.

Option Four: Demolishing One
Building, Expanding
The other suggestion demolishes the 1961 building; puts up a new three-story addition with appropriate classroom sizes and office space; adds a
one-story addition for the media center, adds a oneand-a-half-story building for the cafeteria, kitchen,
and stage, and reassigns the parking lot.
The drawback: it would push the project
completion date back to August 2019. It would
also require approval from the DC Council and
the mayor to add roughly $15 million to Maury’s
current $18.5 million capital improvement plan
(CIP) budget.

What the Parents Want
Most parents and staff at Maury want a school that
is the right size and includes the current boundaries, according to a DCPS survey sent out to parents

78 H Hillrag.com

and staff. Complications in the process have frustrated many, but they
want the project done right.
Reducing the boundary area
doesn’t seem fair to families, the
budget isn’t guaranteed through the
CIP process, and expanded capacity
would also impact the school’s current operations, said Max Kieba, a
school improvement team (SIT) coordinator and Maury parent. “We
talked about clustering with Miner or shrinking the boundaries back
from the extension, but we didn’t
want that,” he said
Instead, they are interested in
the most radical plan, option four.
Kieba admitted it poses a challenge
for swinging out of the school for two
years to a temporary location or even
moving two times in two years, but
they want a school that fits the community’s growing needs.
Maury Principal Carolyn Albert-Garvey agrees and wants people to understand that a potential increase in the budget is not a request
for money on the current plan; it’s to
address the number of new local families. “If there is a way for us to do a
two-year renovation and get a building that fits our needs, that would be
wonderful,” she said, adding that increased enrollment is a good problem to have.
But Weedon questions the teardown of the 1961 building in option
four. The city has already spent money renovating parts of that building,
and an increase in money for one
school could potentially take away
funds from another school that lacks
basic needs like HVAC systems that
work and windows that open. “I’d
like to see a bigger-picture view of
how the investment in Maury supports a vision that creates a sustainable system of schools from early education to graduation for the entire
neighborhood, puts more students in
a position to achieve, and closes the
achievement gap,” Weedon said. u

vents DC revealed ambitious plans for the
redevelopment of the
190 acres surrounding
RFK Stadium in DC’s
Ward 7 on Jan. 5. But while community leaders showed support for some
of the proposals, they see the twoto-five-year plan as just a start to a
broader conversation about the site’s
future. With the DC United soccer
team moving to its new stadium in
Southwest, the city and community
are developing plans on how to reimagine and reenergize the space.
Plans currently include multipurpose fields, a market hall, a sports
and recreation complex, pedestrian
bridges connecting the west and east
banks of the Anacostia River as well
as to Heritage and Kingman Islands,
and a new memorial site for RobAn overview plan of the Events DC’s short-term plan for the RFK redevelopment. (Photo: Events DC)
ert Kennedy, brother of President
John Kennedy.
feet of the space toward the north end and middle
and paths to the rivers.
But with the budget currently estimated at
of the site will host three fields and amenities:
3. Sports Complex. A 350,000-square-foot
$489.6 million for this short-term plan – which ex• one youth soccer field with two lighted
sports complex will support activities like bowling
cludes any estimates or plans for RFK Stadium it
baseball diamonds
and other all-season options and will also include
self – and lingering questions over how Events DC
• two soccer and lacrosse fields
a 30,000-square-foot fitness center, possibly indoor
plans to renegotiate an extension for the 22 years
• a 2,900-square-foot bathroom and support
skydiving, and transparent walls.
remaining on its lease with the National Park Serbuilding
4. Pedestrian Bridges. Three pedestrian bridgvice (NPS), local representatives and community
• a concession area and a picnic area
es taking up about 25,000 square feet will connect
leaders want full participation in the upcoming de2. Market Hall. Events DC wants to put in
west of the Anacostia to the east in Ward 7:
cisions. And as quickly as possible.
a 47,000-square-foot market hall that will offer
• a wooden beam bridge on the north end
space for urban gardens, farmers, specialty pre• a suspension bridge in the middle of
Breaking Down the Plan
pared food vendors, and other fresh food options
the site across the river
Events DC assembled the short-term master plan
for the local community. Though the lease be• a steel bridge toward the south that will
to get the site’s redevelopment started. It could
tween the NPS and the District allows for “en
connect to Kingman Island
even finish before the demolition of RFK, said
tertainment” and “sports” activities, Brown said
Events DC responded to community requests
Max Brown, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s appointment
the food hall falls under the umbrella of concesto provide better connections between the riveras chair of the Events DC board. Events DC and
sions when paired with the sports and recreation
fronts and the two islands, Heritage and Kingman.
the community have yet to decide what will fill
complexes. The design will resemble other large
The spaces will also allow for access to outdoor classthe RFK space. The short-term plan includes five
markets like Pikes Place Market in Seattle and
rooms.
main projects.
the Ferry Market in San Francisco. It will have
5. Memorial for Robert Kennedy. About
1. Multipurpose Fields. About 217,000 square
open garage style shops, upper dining terraces,
10,000 square feet will also go to a new interactive

80 H Hillrag.com

Neighbors Want More
Conversations

posed components. Why can’t the DC Department
of Parks and Recreation run the sports fields? Why
can’t DC run the market hall, like the one at Eastern
Market? He wants to see more “natural” agencies or
groups partner with different aspects of the redevelopment. “By putting Events DC in charge of this project, we bias the outcome that Events DC will run everything,” Ridge said.
Brown said his Events DC team is working with
the Reservation 13 developers. He didn’t address that
at the meeting because he wanted to present the plans
to the community first for feedback.

Residents in Ward 7 across
the river asked Events DC to
think more about the challenge of connecting the east
and west banks via pedestrian bridges. One community member explained at the
meeting that with the Anacostia freeway dividing the east
and west sides of the Ward 7
community, that limits access
for pedestrian visitors.
Reconciling a Reasonable
Residents of the KingBudget, Lease Extension
man Park community said
The site will cost nearly a half a billion dollars to comA rendering of the proposed market hall in Events DC’s short-term plan for the
Events DC’s plan isn’t perplete, and Events DC anticipates roughly 49 percent of
RFK lot. (Photo: Events DC)
fect, but the team factored in
the money coming from its own budget (largely from
much of what the commutaxes paid by DC’s hotels and restaurants), 17 percent
memorial for Robert Kennedy. The memorial is not
nity asked them to considfrom the city’s budget for roads and infrastructure, and
yet designed and will take at least 10 years to finish,
er, said Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC)
about 34 percent from private funds, likely for the RFK
the Events DC team said.
member Bob Coomber (7D01). He wants the planmemorial and the recreation center. Allen called the
ners to ensure people from all economic backgrounds
investment “worthwhile.” Brown said the DC Council
Support … So Far
and ages can use the site. Coomber also wants the
has also voiced support for the plan and budget.
Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen and Ward 7
DC Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
Events DC is renegotiating the lease with the
Councilmember Vincent Gray both praised the shortto conduct environmental safety evaluations as workNPS, which Brown said has gone well. The current
term plan as a way to build out the growing communiers start to rip up the asphalt and pave trails or roadlease, which expires in 2038, would leave the longty along the Anacostia. “It’s a wonderful horizon, but
ways on the two islands. “Overall we’re pretty happy,”
term project on the main RFK Stadium unfinished
it’s really one that’s overdue,” Gray said. He added that
Coomber said. “We just have to make sure we keep
without an extension. There’s also a chance the NPS
he thinks it could have a strong and badly needed ecotheir feet to the fire.”
would offer the city administrative control over the
nomic impact on his ward.
Commissioner Dan Ridge (6B09) wants to know
site, which wouldn’t require action or approval from
Allen expressed pleasure at seeing the proposed
why Events DC needs to run the entire site and its proCongress. u
community green spaces and activities. “A priority for
me is ripping up those asphalt parking lots and turning them into green spaces,” he said. “And that doesn’t
take 10 years.” He supports keeping dollars spent on
sports and recreation within the District, he said. He
and his family, like others in the District, have to drive
out of the city for some of the recreation options this
site could offer.
For all the benefits Events DC proposed, Allen
and others have reservations. Many don’t like the idea
of having a vehicle road paralleling the river along
the waterfront. Others want a Metrorail station closer to the site. Some questioned Events DC at the Jan.
5 meeting on the flexibility of deciding what kind of
activities the complex might offer.
“We want the feedback from the community on
that, but I wouldn’t be focused on the programming
right now,” Allen said, reiterating his call for continued community engagement from Events DC as the
details solidify.
A rendering for the proposed sports and recreation complex for the RFK redevelopment. (Photo: Events DC)

February 2017 H 81

{capitol streets}

Shotgun House Deconstructed
A 165-Year-Old Structure Gets A New Life

T

he decades-long dispute over the shotgun house is over. In January what remained of this historic structure, built
sometime before 1853, was dismantled
as part of an agreement forged with the
owner-developer SGA properties, the Office of Planning’s Historic Preservation Review Board and the
powerful Capitol Hill Restoration Society.
What gives this agreement its glue is the condition that what remained of the historic house would
be “disassembled” and carefully preserved for use in
the two-unit residential development piece of the new
120 units under development at 12th and Pennsylvania Ave SE.
A shotgun house is a narrow rectangular domestic house usually no more than thirteen feet wide with
one room behind the other. It was the most popular
style of house in the southern United States from the
Civil War until the 1920s.
One version for how the Shotgun House got its
name: you can fire a shotgun straight through the front
room and out the back door without hitting a wall.
A previous owner, Larry Quillan, tried repeatedly to tear the Shotgun House down and develop
the property. CHRS stood in opposition to his plans
(a view which was supported by the District government’s Historic Preservation Review Board), and the
matter remained in stalemate until its recent sale to
developer SGA.
SGA subsequently negotiated a package that
satisfied the community, with CHRS occupying
the principal role in these conversations. In August

by Peter J. Waldron
2016, HPRB approved a settlement that has
allowed the development to go forward that
is linked to the Frager’s development project on Pennsylvania Ave SE.

TOP: Existing elevation.
BELOW: Proposed plan.

The Agreement
As part of this agreement, what is salvageable
of the deconstructed shotgun house will become a part of two residential units being restored with the salvaged material being used
wherever viable.
Asked about why the shotgun house is
and was so important, former HPRB member Nancy Metzger said, “We will learn how
the less affluent lived in the days when this
house was built” at what was once was the
edge of Capitol Hill.
Metzger also points to the valuable “dig”
that is currently ongoing at the property, supervised by City Archaeologist Ruth Trocolli now that
the house is dismantled.
Elizabeth Nelson, currently the President of
CHRS, notes that “the house has been carefully disassembled and inventoried so that it can be restored
on the site.” Asked if the resolution of this long standing community issue has come to a good outcome,
Nelson responded: “I would think so.”
In response to the promises made by the new
developer-owner SGA and their trustworthiness, Nelson said: “They are upholding their end of the agreement. There is nothing that I have seen that tells me
they are not going to do what they promised to do. “
CHRS promises to continue to have an interest in the shotgun house project. According to
Nelson: “We will certainly be watchful during the
next phase of its life. As far as we know it is in good
hands and things are proceeding as they should. “

The Dig

Shotgun house NE corner.

82 H Hillrag.com

Ruth Trocolli, City Archaeologist for the Office
of Planning, enthusiastically describes a potential
treasure trove of mid to late 19th century findings,
among them broken dishes and glassware as well as
animal bones with butcher’s cut marks on the bones.
Trocolli has set up a special Facebook site,
DC Archaeology, for those interested in updates.

She points out that the real work did not begin until shortly after Christmas when the property was safe
to begin the excavation or what are Trocolli calls
“ground disturbing activities.” Trocolli suggests that
the work, which will cover the three periods of construction of 1850, 1887 and 1923, is expected to uncover a well or privy, as well as a large amount of unintentionally disposed trash, considered archeological
crown jewels, that fell through the floor boards.
According to Trocolli, the first owner sold the
shotgun h ouse in 1857. The seller was a Germanmerchant with a shop on 12th St. He sold the property to an illiterate German immigrant peddler as listed in the city directory. There was a brewery in the
area by 1850.
The dig site currently has a trained working
group of five pro bono workers as well as volunteers.
In explaining the dig’s purpose, Trocolli says:
“What we are looking at is discovering what the daily life of immigrants on Capitol Hill was like. There
were row houses and shotgun houses. These were
not where the rich and famous lived. These were the
working class people who built ships, who coal and
who brewed beer. We hope to find evidence of what
they ate, what they did in the house.“
Stay tuned for updates on the new structure and
the findings from Trocolli’s dig. u

All Work Inspected by Owner...Deals Directly with Customers!
All Work Fully Guaranteed
February 2017 H 83

{capitol streets}

Our River: The Anacostia

Just How and When Is This River
of Ours Going to Get Clean?
A Primer on Toxic Sediments

O

ne of the most complex and confusing undertakings of our environmental agencies is the cleanup of urban rivers. It is very
important that we know what is
going on and what the results are likely to be and
when. It’s not that we can’t trust our public agencies to do a job. It is whether or not that job meets
our expectations and our desires, since every person can have a different idea what “clean” is. Let’s
dive in and see what we can learn about cleaning
up the Anacostia.
The Anacostia, like many urban rivers, has

by Bill Matuszeski

a problem with trash, a problem with sewage and
stormwater, and a problem with toxic substances. Some of these are easier to deal with than others, and there has been more progress on some of
them than on others.
In the case of our river, a great deal of progress has been made on trash reduction through
traps and regional agreements on reducing sources such as charges for plastic bags. More can be
done, but we know what to do and it is a question
of will. Likewise, the massive DCWater project to
build tunnels to handle combined sewer overflows
will reduce discharges during storm events up to
an estimated 98 percent.
The main remaining problem is
toxic pollutants from chemicals that
have entered the river and in many
cases settled into the sediments along
shore and in the bottom. These toxics have three origins.
The first is upstream sources.
Most of the upper watershed is residential. Efforts to reduce loadings
from streets and industries have limited the need, it is thought, for a lot
more attention except in specific
cases, but additional effort is needed to investigate possible upstream
sources.
The second is industrial sites
along the tidal river, many of which
are no longer in use but have residual toxics in the soils and groundwater. The Navy Yard, where munitions
were manufactured for over a century, is the only official Superfund site
along the river and is involved in an
ongoing effort to clean up its industrial sites, as well as the soils, groundwater, and shorelines.
The Anacostia shoreline. Photo: Department of Energy
Pepco recently signed a consent
& Environment

84 H Hillrag.com

decree with the Justice Department and EPA to
pay $1.6 million and take remedial actions with
respect to metals-contaminated stormwater runoff
from its Benning Road service center, the former
site of a powerplant. Pepco is cleaning up soils and
other parts of the property under a consent decree
with the Department of Energy & Environment
(DOEE). The company has invested over $2 million to control onsite sources of contamination.
It has agreed to pay penalties for any future violations, as well as $500,000 if it fails to get its stormwater control project in operation.
Farther downriver on Buzzard Point, a rock
and gravel operation, Recycled Aggregates and
John Driggs Company, settled recently with EPA
and paid a $32,400 penalty for discharging contaminated stormwater into the Anacostia without
a permit. There are also ongoing cleanup activities
at the Washington Gas Company site above the
11th Street Bridge, and an action is likely to start
soon on Poplar Point on the Anacostia side above
the South Capitol Street Bridge.
The third set of sources are the sediments
in the river itself which either arrived with toxics
attached or have absorbed them from the water
above or the groundwater below. They are the focus of a major undertaking by DOEE and the National Park Service, which owns the river bottom.
Known as the Anacostia River Sediment Project,
it is critical to restoring the river to be swimmable
and fishable. This is the undertaking that it is most
important to watch, to understand, and to weigh
in on. The project aims to characterize the sediment contamination, investigate historic and current sources, assess the risk to humans and the river, develop cleanup alternatives, provide for public
comment, and choose a remedy and implement it.
The Anacostia River Sediment Project has
many parts and is an alphabet soup of reports and
documents. The process unfolds something like
this, with estimated times for each stage.

1. Remedial investigation, called the RI for
and provide information repositories. Speaking of
short, is intended to identify the contaminants,
which, the community involvement plan as well as
where they are, how they got there, and how to
many of the documents discussed above and othget at the sources. In the case of the Anacostia the
ers are now available, or will be when completRI is being done in two phases. Phase 1 was comed, through the Anacostia River Sediment Project
pleted in October 2016 and covered the “what”
page noted above. Check it out.
and “where” issues. Phase 2, underway now, will
What are the likely critical issues with the
be completed in fall 2017 and will identify where
public as this process moves forward? I foresee four.
the toxics are coming from and how to capture
How Clean Is Clean?
them. The findings of each phase will be availThe law requires that the river be cleaned to a
able for public review and comment. The project
clearly identified background level, but there is
work plans, Phase 1 RI Report, and response to
no easy answer to what the normal background levcomments are posted on DOEE’s website at www.
doee.dc.gov/AnacostiaSediment.
2. A feasibility study sets out a range
of possible ways to address the contamination. It arranges tools, techniques, and processes as alternatives which are then evaluated according to effects on human and
river health, time, and cost to meet cleanup
goals and expectations. This is to be completed by late 2017.
3. A proposed plan will lay out a cleanup schema and a set of alternatives for how
to carry it out. Scheduled for completion in
January 2018, it attempts to balance technical, social, and economic considerations. It
is critical that it receive close public review.
4. The record of decision, or ROD, is
the most important of all these documents
because it sets out the final decision of the
agencies on the alternative remediation
plan that will be implemented. It includes
site history, characteristics, community participation, enforcement activity, extent of
contamination, and the remedy. Part of
Drawing a sediment core from the river bottom. Photo: Departthe ROD will analyze how quickly a remement of Energy & Environment
dy will meet cleanup objectives. It is to be
ready in June 2018.
el should be for an urban river surrounded by a lot
5 and 6. Remedial design and remedial acof human activity. The level identified by the projtion are the steps to implement the ROD. The deect is a bit unclear, but it seems to be the Potomac
sign is to be finished by June 2018 and the action
River above any influence by the DC metropoliis to then get underway. Everything is to be comtan area. While this seems reasonable, some think
pleted by 2024, which may seem a long time, but
the goal should be for a more pristine river or some
six years to deal with the amount of sediment and
combination of relatively clean East Coast rivers.
degree of contamination may be what is needed.
The DOEE has prepared a community inHow Is ‘Fishable and Swimmable’ to
volvement plan to engage the public throughout
Be Defined and When?
the process outlined above. The idea is to encourThis is closely related to the issue above, since the
age comments on the documents, provide access
background level will determine the acceptable
to social media sites, undertake stakeholder interlevels of toxics still in the river. There is also the
views, provide fact sheets, hold public meetings,

question of how often swimmers should expose
themselves to the water and how often the fish can
be safely eaten. The law is flexible on these points.
The goal is to complete the cleanup by 2024. This
is the date that environmental groups have set for a
fishable and swimmable river, but the city claims
that it will take some time for the river to recover
from the restoration work and any additional work
needed to run clean throughout.

How Can We Be Sure the Sources Will Be
Cleaned Up on a Similar Timetable?
The nature and extent of tributary sources of toxics is an issue over which there seems to be
some disagreement. The pace of cleanup
of the industrial sites along the tidal shoreline, especially with respect to nearshore
sediments and groundwater, is also a factor. Will all these pieces be coordinated so
there is some assurance that once the river
is clean it will stay that way?

Will Contaminated Sediments Be
Capped or Removed?
This is a key question and the one most
likely to run into resistance from the city
and the Park Service. Removal is substantially more costly than capping in place, so
the bias will be to cap. Yet we are dealing
with a very dynamic tidal system with frequent and substantial flushes of stormwater. Is it safe to say the clean sediment caps
will stay in place? Many of the candidate
areas for capping are shallow, and once
capped could interfere with recreational
boating. This is likely to be the main area
of contention with the public as the effort
moves toward its record of decision.
Stay tuned as the effort moves toward
resolution. The Anacostia River Sediment Project
is in good hands and has the right goals. But it does
require constant public alertness to assure that the
right options are chosen for the long-term health
of the river and its users.
Bill Matuszeski writes monthly about the Anacostia
River. He is the retired director of the Chesapeake
Bay Program, a DC member of the Citizens Advisory
Committee on the Anacostia River, and a member of
the Mayor’s Leadership Council for a Cleaner Anacostia River. u

February 2017 H 85

{capitol streets}

South by West
by William Rich
Anchor Tenant for New
L’Enfant Plaza Building
The Urban Institute will take 121,000 square
feet of space in the first six floors of the 12-story
office building to be built at 500 L’Enfant. The
research nonprofit founded by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 will relocate its headquarters and over 400 employees from the West End
to L’Enfant Plaza by March 2019.
After the podium for 500 L’Enfant was
built, work stopped about a year ago for lack of
an anchor tenant. Now that one has been secured, construction is expected to resume in
February. Upon completion, 500 L’Enfant will
be a LEED Gold-certified, 215,000 square-foot
building with a direct connection to the shops
at L’Enfant Plaza and the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station. A free shuttle will be provided from
L’Enfant Plaza to The Wharf, which is scheduled to complete its first phase in October 2017.
“We envision opening our doors to new audiences and serving as a hub for innovative programming that advances Urban’s mission,” said
Urban Institute President Sarah Rosen Wart-

The relatively low-density Greenleaf public housing complex will become more dense and mixed-income
under a plan by the DC Housing Authority. Photo: William Rich

A new office building will move forward at L’Enfant Plaza now that the Urban Institute has
been secured as the anchor tenant. Rendering: ZGF Architects LLP

86 H Hillrag.com

ell in a statement. “With research conferences, regular sunset
seminars, policy debates, decision-maker interviews, and film
screenings, we aim to bring together myriad voices committed to advancing America’s families and its communities large
and small.” She continued, “In particular, we hope Urban’s facilities will serve as a locus for discussion of DC and regional
policy. With immediate access to five Metro lines, bike facilities, and the city’s largest parking garage, it will be easier than
ever for people from across the region (as well as the thousands
of nearby federal and city employees) to attend Urban events
and gatherings.”
The former L’Enfant Plaza Hotel is undergoing renovation and will reopen in 2018 as the 367-key Hilton Washington DC National Mall hotel. Also scheduled to be completed
in 2018 at L’Enfant Plaza is the new home of the International Spy Museum, which will be located along 10th Street SW.
The recent office tenant signings at L’Enfant Plaza and
at The Wharf signify a shift in the tenant base within Southwest, which has been dominated by the federal government
and contractors. Now joining those traditional tenant types are
a law firm, a lobbying firm, and a shared work-space provider.

‘Build First’
in Greenleaf
Redevelopment
The DC Housing Authority has
made a commitment to using a
build-first model for the redevelopment of the Greenleaf public housing complex to avoid displacing existing residents. City leaders and
neighborhood activists have been advocating a build-first model, especially since many publicly owned sites in
the vicinity of Greenleaf could potentially be used. Two nearby sites
have been identified as candidates
to build the initial phase of the redeveloped Greenleaf. One is the parking lot adjacent to the Metropolitan
Police Department’s First District
headquarters at the northeast corner
of Delaware Avenue and M Street.
The other is the DC FEMS Engine
7 repair shop at Half and M streets.
Preliminary development plans
by the consultant HR&A Advisors involve the construction of a mixed-income building at the selected buildfirst site. Some of the residents could
move there to allow for a phased demolition of the existing Greenleaf
buildings, starting with the townhouses closest to M Street. Preliminary development plan calls for a mix
of housing types and heights, generally highest along M Street and tapering down to the north and south.
The redevelopment of the 15acre site is split into four blocks:
Block A is bounded by Third
Street to the west, Delaware Avenue
to the east, M Street to the south,
and L Street to the north. An affordable seniors/disabled 11-story apartment building with 272 units would
be built along M Street with about
15,000 square feet of ground-floor
retail. The northern portion of the
block would be developed with a
mixed-income, nine-story multifamily building with 214 units.
Block B is bounded by Third

Street to the west, Delaware Avenue
to the east, L Street to the south, and
K Street to the north. The west portion would have about 37 townhouses, and the east side of the block
would have a seven-story multifamily building of about 207 units,
with some townhouses on the lower floors.
Block C is bounded by Third
Street to the west, Delaware Avenue
to the east, K Street to the south,
and I Street to the north. The west
portion would have about 37 townhouses, and the east side of the
block would be a midrise multifamily building with about 340 units,
with some townhouses on the lower floors.
Block D is bounded by Delaware Avenue to the west, KingGreenleaf Recreation Center to the
east, King Greenleaf Ballfield to the
south, and M Street to the north.
On the northwest portion of the
block, an 11-story building would
be constructed along Delaware Avenue with about 320 units and 7,000
square feet of ground-floor retail. A
second 11-story multifamily building
would be constructed on the northeast portion of the block. It would
have about 420 units, with some
townhouses on the lower floors. The
south portion of the block would include 42 townhouses.
Excluding the build-first phase,
nearly 1,900 units would be erected,
replacing the current 493 units and
adding a significant amount of market-rate housing. The next step is to
come to an agreement with the District on a site to do build-first. Following that, the redevelopment plan
needs to be finalized, and then the
Housing Authority will issue a request for proposals to select a developer partner.
William Rich is a blogger at Southwest … The Little Quadrant that Could
(www.swtlqtc.com). u

dvisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6A Chair Phil Toomajian called the meeting to order, with
Commissioners Calvin Ward, Sondra Phillips-Gilbert, Marie-Claire
Brown, Mike Soderman, Patrick Malone, and
Stephanie Zimny in attendance. Matt Levy arrived shortly thereafter.
Chair Toomajian began the meeting by welcoming Marie-Claire Brown, the only first-term
commissioner, representing ANC 6A01. The first
order of business was the annual “housekeeping,”
including the election of officers, establishment of
committees, and announcement of the 2017 ANC
6A meeting schedule.
Toomajian will continue as chair, Stephanie
Zimny as treasurer, Calvin Ward as secretary; Mike
Soderman will take over the vice-chair position vacated by Omar Mahmud.
The commissioners will continue to meet on
the second Thursday of each month at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th St. NE, except for an
August recess and a change of venue in July.
The committees are as follows:
• Economic Development and Zoning, Brad
Greenfield (chair),
Jake Joyce, Missy Boyette, Justin Thornton,
Michael Hoenig, Stephanie Zimny
• Transportation and Public Space, Omar

RFK Campus Update
Max Brown, chair of Events DC, gave a presentation on the RFK Campus Redevelopment
Project. The site is large, 190 acres. The plan
is focused mostly on short-term upgrades to areas adjacent the stadium. These will include recreational fields, a market hall, gardens, and access
bridges to Kingman and Heritage islands. When
the stadium is torn down in 2018 it will clear the
way for additional development. Toomajian expressed disappointment that housing was not in
the mix, but the terms of the current lease allow
only sports, recreation, and entertainment uses.
Unlike the Department of Parks and Recreation
(DPR), Events DC must generate its own funding and is therefore pursuing public-private partnerships to build the facilities. When completed,
there will be a charge for their use. Events DC
hopes to keep it affordable. Details (including the
slide show that was shared at the ANC meeting)
can be found at rfkcampusfuture.com.

Alcohol Beverag
Licensing Actions
The commissioners gave unanimous support to the following:
• Settlement agreement (SA) with Bespoke 1337
LLC, t/a Hill Prince (1337 H St. NE).
• SA with Ben’s Chili Bowl/Ben’s Upstairs (1001
H St. NE). Toomajian noted that this was the
last liquor-serving establishment on H Street
not to have a settlement agreement with 6A,
and thanked the owners for their cooperation.
• SA with Naomi’s Ladder II LLC (1123 H St.
NE). This is the location formerly occupied by
XII, and there are ties between past and current owners. As there were problems with the
business, the commissioners insisted on more
stringent language than what they would ordinarily require. For example, a provision requires that if there are continued, substantiated noise complaints, the hours of operation for
the roof-top will be reduced.

www.anc6a.org
A recommendation to support
a stipulated license for Naomi’s Ladder II was tabled. The establishment
was not placarded until Dec. 31, giving the public little opportunity to express concerns, especially given XII’s
track record.

Transportation and
Public Space Actions
ANC 6A will provide a letter of
support for the 2017 Rock and
Roll Marathon and Half-Marathon,
contingent on Events DC (the
race organizer) making provisions
for public notification, including
a door-hanger campaign, a notice
on affected bus routes, and the advance posting of signs noting street
closings and crossing points. Events
DC must confirm that the residents
of Capitol Hill Towers will have access to their parking lot entrance on
10th Street during the race. Department of Public Works trucks will be
at RFK Stadium and not on neighborhood streets. The Metropolitan Police Department is to reopen
street closures as soon as runners
and marathon staff have cleared
an intersection.
Additionally, ANC 6A declared
support for keeping the marathon
on H Street NE. Events DC has received notice that it may not be allowed to use H Street, as in the past,
due to streetcar operations. In that
case the race course will be forced
onto a residential street. That would
be problematic for neighbors and
runners, and many H Street business owners would prefer to keep
them on H Street.

Other Business
The commissioners voted unanimously to send a letter of support
for FreshFarm’s H Street Farmers’
Market at 12th Street NE to operate
on Saturdays in 2017 from 9 a.m. to
12:30 p.m.

The commissioners considered
a response to The Washington Post
“Youth Rehabilitation Act” investigation. Commissioners pointed to
the lack of a “rehabilitation” component in the act and noted that residents had been seriously harmed by
individuals abusing the leniency they
had been granted. By a unanimous
vote, a letter will be sent to the mayor and the DC Council requesting
revisions to the act.

Reports and
Announcements
Commissioner Ward announced
that the Kingman Park Citizen Association is sponsoring the area at 19th
and C streets NE (most of which is in
Ward 7) for historic district designation. Ward, who represents the portion within Ward 6, said he “doesn’t
object, if the community wants it.”
He also noted that there have been
a great many car breakins and counseled that drivers should use steering-wheel locking devices and leave
nothing in their cars.
Commissioner Zimny continues to work with the owners of Chikfil-A (formerly Checkers, in the triangle on the 1400 block of Maryland
Avenue and G Street NE) and Laura Marks from Councilmember Allen’s office to address traffic flow
concerns. Chik-fil-A proposes having the main entrance/exit onto G
Street, which is a residential street.
Zimny is hoping for a more community-friendly solution.
Commissioner Brown noted
that the Sherwood Recreation Center (640 10th St. NE) is currently serving as a women’s hypothermia shelter. Consequently there has
been a serious problem with debris
on the property, including evidence
of drug use.
Commissioner Phillips-Gilbert
expressed disappointment that a
homeless shelter for LGBTQ youth

had been opened in her single-member district
without her input.
Naomi Mitchell from Councilmember Allen’s office attended the meeting to thank the
commissioners on his behalf. She presented each
with an unused ballot from the November election, with his or her name on it.
Councilmember David Grosso will attend
the February ANC meeting.
A presentation by Doug Klein, community
prosecutor, originally scheduled for the January
meeting, has been postponed until February.
Councilmember Charles Allen will attend
the March ANC meeting.
ANC 6A meets on the second Thursday of
every month (except August) at Miner Elementary School. The 6A committees meet at 7 p.m. on
the following dates:
Alcohol Beverage and Licensing, third Tuesday of each month, Sherwood Recreation Center.
Community Outreach, fourth Monday of
each month, Maury Elementary School.
Economic Development and Zoning, third
Wednesday of each month, Sherwood Recreation
Center.
Transportation and Public Space, usually
third Monday of every month, Capitol Hill Towers. It met on the fourth Monday in January due
to a federal holiday.
Visit www.anc6a.org for a calendar of events, changes of date/venue, agendas, and other information. u

ANC 6B
Report
by Christine Rushton

A

t the January meeting, commissioners in Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6B argued for more
than an hour over a resolution supporting a key change in the District’s 1985 Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA). Commissioner Denise Krepp (6B10) proposed changes
that would exclude violent crimes from the YRA,
which currently gives District offenders under age

90 H Hillrag.com

22 the chance for a shorter sentence and a clean record when they finish their sentence. Commissioners Kristen Oldenburg (6B04), James Loots (6B03),
and Diane Hoskins (6B02) opposed what they considered the resolution’s narrow scope. Commissioner Chander Jayaraman (6B08) put forth a substitute resolution that called for several DC entities,
including the DC Council and the mayor’s office,
to conduct a “comprehensive” review of the legislation. His version omitted the call to exclude violent crimes from the YRA allowances. Against the
objection of Krepp, the commissioners voted 7-2 in
favor of sending the revised resolution.
The quorum: Jennifer Samolyk (6B01), James
Loots (6B03, parliamentarian), Aimee Grace
(6B07), Chander Jayaraman (6B08, chair), Denise
Krepp (6B10), Diane Hoskins (6B02, vice chair),
Kirsten Oldenburg (6B04), Steve Hagedorn (6B05),
and Daniel Ridge (6B09, secretary). Nick Burger
(6B06, treasurer) was absent.

New Officers
Commissioner Kristen Oldenburg stepped down
as chair, and the ANC voted in Chander Jayaraman in as chair for the 2017 year. The commissioners also voted for Diane Hoskins as vice chair,
Dan Ridge as secretary, Nick Burger as treasurer,
and James Loots as parliamentarian.

Additional Comments on
Krepp’s YRA Proposal
Before the commissioners voted to send a revised
resolution of Krepp’s YRA proposal, neighbors at
the meeting argued both for and against Krepp’s
proposal. Those in support praised the proposed
crackdown on violent crimes, while those in opposition cited the need to look at the YRA’s benefits
of reducing incarceration from the city’s recidivism
rates. Former commissioner Daniel Chao supported a review but said he wants to know more about
the successes and whether the problem is actually city agencies failing to properly enforce the law.
“I think that you can be in favor of reforming the
YRA as it pertains to rehabilitation and enforcement,” he said. The commissioners plan to continue addressing the issue.

Neighbors Oppose Carriage
House Addition
Neighbors of a home at 202 Ninth St. SE strongly opposed the addition of a two-story carriage

house. The owner’s historic preservation application (HPA) won 6-3 support from the ANC at
the meeting, but not before neighbors expressed
their distress at plans that would put a wall abutting their own residence. They argued it would
block a key window that helps ventilate the house.
The commissioners explained that walls bordering the property line aren’t supposed to have windows, so those are at risk anyway. The case will
come back before the commissioners later for a
zoning variance request.

Other Actions
Commissioners unanimously supported the addition of an extra 5,000 square feet for a loading dock
and added parking for the mixed-use development
at-1338 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
Commissioners unanimously supported the reinstatement of Cava (527-529 Eighth St. SE) and its
tavern license after finishing a settlement agreement.
At the completion of the CSX tunnel project
in 2018, Virginia Avenue Park will be renovated.
The first community meeting is on Feb. 4.
New ANC 6B07 Commissioner Aimee Grace
has started a community email. To join it for updates, email her at aimeemgrace@gmail.com.
ANC 6B regularly meets on the second Tuesday of
the month at the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. The next meeting is on
Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. u

ANC 6C
Report
by Christine Rushton

N

ew methods of sector policing will
change the way DC police and
the First District handle community engagement. At the January
meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6C, Capt. Jonathan
Dorrough of the First District explained that three
captains, including himself, will take responsibility
for a group of police service areas (PSAs) on a 24/7
basis. The goal is to streamline and keep consistent
the information the community needs and receives

Election of Officers
New commissioners joined the ANC in January. The commission elected its officers for the
coming year. The ANC reelected Wirt (6C02)
to chair, elected Price (6C03) as vice chair, reelected Miller (6C05) as treasurer, and elected
new commissioner Healey (6C01) as secretary.

Redevelopment of Stanton
Park Highrise
Developers submitted requests to raze and redevelop one of three row structures that skirt
Stanton Park at 504 C St. NE. The ANC’s
Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee (PZE) had questions about
the developer’s plans to build the three-story
house with an overhanging porch on the top
floor. The developer decided to remove the
porch before the ANC meeting, so commissioners voted unanimously to support the historic preservation application (HPA) design.

New Lights for Metro
Branch Trail
The Washington Gateway mixed-use development buildings by New York Avenue and Florida Avenue NE will include a roughly $1.2 million public bicycle storage area, a site just off
the Metropolitan Branch Trail. The developers
said they plan to add extra lights for safety along
the stretches of the trail nearest their buildings.

Letter on Youth
Rehabilitation Act
Commissioners voted unanimously to support
a letter of concern over the efficacy of DC’s
Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA). Commissioner Price suggested the ANC add a request to
look into better methods of data collection on
issues of juvenile offenders. The commission
voted down the addition. The letter will go to

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen and
the DC Council.

Grant Approvals
The ANC approved three grants at its January meeting: one for Serve Your City, an organization that helps educate underserved students; another for Ludlow-Taylor Elementary
School’s (659 G St. NE) Parent Teacher Association (PTA); and a third for Capitol Hill
Montessori @Logan (215 G St. NE).
• Serve Your City received $1,080 for a college preparatory workshop for students
at Stuart-Hobson Middle School (410 E
St. NE) and Two Rivers Public Charter
School (1227 Fourth St. NE). This will
help 12 students in the workshop.
• Ludlow-Taylor received $586 for reading
materials, funds ANC 6A also matched.
The school had an unexpected number of
third-grade students enroll in the 2016-17
school year and needed extra supplies for
the Read Across American Read-A-Thon
in March.
• Capitol Hill Montessori @Logan received
$2,400 for garden supplies. The school plans
to give students the opportunity to plant crops
in its garden and eat the produce.
The committee announced the quarterly
deadlines for grant applications in 2017: Feb.
9, May 11, Aug. 17, and Nov. 2.

Other Action Items
The ANC approved funds up to $5,000 to hire
a lawyer in case further help is needed in putting together a settlement agreement with the
Whole Foods Market at 600 H St. NE. The site
needs a license to sell alcoholic beverages in
its market cafe section.
Commissioners opposed the historic preservation application for a third-floor addition at
732 Fourth St. NE because of its visibility from
all angles of the building.
The Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Committee is working on a settlement agreement
with We Work, a communal working space at
the new Apollo building on Sixth Street NE.
The business wants to offer its users access to
a keg of beer during certain hours of the day.
The NoMa Business Improvement District (BID) updated its ideas on the streetscape

James m LOOts, Pc
Serving the Capitol Hill Community Since 1984
General Litigation and Arbitration
Franchising and Business Organizations
Commercial Leasing and Development
Labor and Employment Issues
Contract and Licensing Matters

in the growing northeast region. These included addressing zigzagging crosswalk patterns and the possibility of creating sitting areas for potential sidewalk
cafes and food trucks.
ANC 6C has a new website at anc6c.org.
ANC 6C regularly meets on the second Wednesday of the
month at the Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts
Ave. NE. The next meeting is on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. u

More on Peninsula 88
The commissioners heard a presentation by Buzzard Point LLC, the developers of Peninsula 88, located on Buzzard Point at the intersection of First
and V streets SW. The site, adjacent to National
Park Service (NPS) land and the shuttered Pepco power station, is currently occupied by a flower
garden. Developers are proposing to an eight-story
apartment building containing 110 units of housing as a matter of right. Under inclusionary zoning, eight of the units will be set aside for affordable
housing. The apartments will offer a combination
of one- and two-bedroom units, the former of 800
square feet and the latter 1,500 square feet. There is
room for a small retailer on the ground floor’s northwest corner. A hundred parking spaces will be built
on two levels.
The developers committed to creating a small
dog run on the V Street side of the property and
promised to build 50 bike storage spaces. They are
petitioning the city to extend the route of the No. 74
bus to the property as well as exploring options for
watertaxi service. They said they had been unable

92 H Hillrag.com

to interest the NPS in an extension of Half Street
through their neighboring property.
The developers asked the commission to provide a letter of support of their project as it undergoes design review under the terms of the Capitol
Gateway zone. “I can’t vote in favor of any project
in Buzzard Point, period,” stated Chair Litsky, citing the absence of a comprehensive transportation
plan for the area. Commissioner Fascett joined him
in his opposition. The commissioners voted 5-2 in
favor of supporting the project.
With Commissioner Shockley abstaining, the
commissioners voted to authorize Moffatt and Hamilton to testify on their behalf before the Zoning
Commission on the project.

Buzzard Point Park
The commissioners discussed two concepts put forward by the NPS for the renovation of Buzzard Point
Park on the site of the former marina. Representatives from DC Sail and others in the audience objected to the lack of a public boat ramp and marina
in either plan. There is now no public boat ramp
in Southwest, they stated. Litsky pointed out that
both proposals contain kayak docks. The commissioners endorsed Concept One with Commissioners Shockley and Fascett in opposition.
For more information visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=62603.

Short-Term Family
Housing Facility
Deputy Director Jay Melder of the Mayor’s Office
of Policy & Legislative Affairs (MOPLA) presented
plans for a short-term family housing facility at 850
Delaware Ave. SW, the current site of the Southwest
Unity Healthcare Clinic. (For a look at details visit
www.capitalcommunitynews.com/content/familyshelter-moves-forward-southwest.) The city will be
applying to the Board of Zoning Adjustment for relief to allow the building to be 88 feet in height and
reduce the required parking from 26 to 13 spaces.
Commissioner Moffatt asked why no retail,
other than a new health clinic, could be provided
on the first floor of the new facility. The city would
have to apply for a planned unit development, a
much more involved and expensive process, to permit such commercial usage, replied Melder. This
would significantly delay the project.
Commissioner Fascett reminded Melder of the
commission’s longstanding demand that there be no

shared bathrooms at the new facility. Cautioning that
the project was still at the zoning stage, Melder stated that the architects were trying to maximize the
plumbing space. Every room would have a fridge
and there will be two microwaves per hall, he stated.
Commissioner Fast questioned whether 13
spaces would provide enough parking for both the
clinic and the short-term housing facility. The facility’s residents are extremely unlikely to have cars, explained Melder.
Commissioner Hamilton remained concerned
that the medical clinic was undersized. Southwest
needs a state-of-the-art urgent care facility, she said.
Five thousand square feet has been reserved for the
medical clinic, Melder responded. Another 2,000
square feet of storage could be repurposed, he added. Hamilton asked whether the city had found a
swing space to house Unity’s existing clinic during
the construction. There is no District-owned swing
space provisioned, stated Melder. “We have not gotten to that point in our discussions.” Litsky interjected, “I am concerned that there is no firm answer on
what is happening in the interim. We can’t wait two
years without a health clinic.”
The commissioners took no vote on the shortterm family housing proposal.

Public Safety Report
Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Bredet Williams introduced her replacement at PSA 105, Lieutenant Darryl Robinson. The First District saw a
significant increase in the past 30 days in robberies, assaults with deadly weapons, and car breakins.
In PSA 105 police closed 53 percent of aggravated
assault cases. Williams warned drivers not to leave
anything visible in their cars.
“There is a ring of people stealing cell phones
and selling them,” Williams stated. They are targeting white females and riders awaiting Uber pickups.
She reminded pedestrians to remain aware of their
surroundings.

approved the December minutes with Commissioner Shockley abstaining
• approved unanimously a resolution in support of permits for the Women’s March
on Washington
• approved sending a letter in support of the Rock
and Roll Marathon scheduled for March 11,
with Commissioner Shockley abstaining
• approved sending a letter of support to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board for application
by Shake Shack, located at 50 M St. SW, for a
D/R license, with Commissioner Shockley voting against
• approved the new membership of the commission’s ABC Subcommittee under the continued
leadership of Chair Coralie Farlee
• unanimously approved $2,000 for the purchase
of office supplies
• unanimously approved the commission’s 2017
meeting schedule
• unanimously approved participating in the
ANC Security Fund
ANC 6D will meet on Monday, Feb. 13, at 7
p.m., at 1100 Fourth St. SW, Second Floor. Visit
www.anc6d.org/ for more information. u

ANC 6E
Report
by Steve Holton
New Year and New Look for
the Commission
Last November, residents from each single-member
district cast their votes to determine who would serve
as an Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC)
6E member. Alexander Padro 6E01 and Frank Wiggins 6E03 remain as commissioners and are joined
by new members Anthony Brown 6E02, Lily Roberts
6E04, Alex Marriott 6E05, Alvin Judd Sr. 6E06, and
Kevin Rogers 6E07. The first order of business for
2017 was to nominate and elect officers. Padro was
elected chair, Wiggins vice chair, Roberts secretary,
and Marriott treasurer.
Preceding the election of officers, commissioners sent out a call to area residents to volunteer and

94 H Hillrag.com

serve on individual committees. The committees
are Grants, ABC Licensing, Communications, Economic Development and Housing, Transportation
and Zoning, and Public Housing. Chair Padro explained that resident participation will be very valuable to the 6E area.
Those interested in serving can contact the
commission by phone at 202-670-1732 or by email at
padroanc@gmail.com. The commission has $25,725
available for grants, community programs, and social
media outreach throughout 2017.

Commission Supports
Landmark Application
PGN Architects representatives Sean Pichon and Jeff
Goins spoke at the meeting on the subject of restoring the Holzbeierlein Bakery building by converting
it into mixed office, residential, and retail units. The
building is located at 1815 Wiltberger St. NW, which
is between T and S streets and adjacent to the Howard Theatre. Holzbeierlein Bakery produced most of
the bread and other baked goods bought by Washingtonians in the early 20th century. The building
is currently being used as a warehouse to store vending machines.
Pichon and Goins presented concept plans
for the building and requested approval for a landmark application before meeting with the Historic
Preservation Review Board (HPRB) in late January.
The plans call for preserving the interior walls and
warehouse facade all the way around the building.
The ground floor will have 8,000 square-feet of retail space and two entrances. The second and third
floors will be used for office space, and fourth and
fifth floors will be constructed for residential use. The
three floors of office space could accommodate 300
people, and the residential units would have 1,300
square feet on average. The third, fourth, and fifth
floors will be set back from the building’s original
edges. Only the third and fourth floors will have a
rooftop deck. A three-story tower addition will face
the Howard Theatre.
Pichon and Goins said the goal was to have their
architectural style meet HPRB criteria. They have
contacted retail brokers to bring in business that will
complement the building and neighborhood. Traffic and shadow studies are underway. PGN plans to
share the results at a future meeting. The building’s
original carriage parking will be converted to nine
parking spaces, and alleyway parking will be available as well.
“The concept plans are appropriate in charac-

ter and material, and I feel that it is moving in the
right direction,” said Chair Padro. The commissioners voted in favor of conveying support for the landmark application to HPRB and advised PGN to explore means of minimizing the volume of additions
due to the narrowness of Wiltberger Street.

HPRB Support for Hoagie House
Running Dog Architects representatives Warren
Wick and Eric Carle presented the first round of renovation plans for the Hoagie House at 1251 Fourth St.
NW. The structure sits on a large and oddly shaped
lot, which they have gotten approval to divide into
three lots. The plan is to renovate the structure and
add four residential units and three parking spaces.
The home’s corner has an old retail space, and HPRB
asked that they retain the look and presence although
there are no plans for future retail use. The Hoagie
House has a residential unit in the basement and another on the two upper floors. Both units will have
rooftop decks on the rear side of the property that will
be set off the street.
There will be a six-month build time. Commissioners advised Wick and Carle not to begin construction before 8:00 a.m. during the week. They also
advised them to complement the neighborhood with
a design that is historic, and recommended that they
reconsider a more appropriate look or treatment for
the ground floor. Wick and Carle plan to revisit the
commission with a revised design.

Protest Vote on ABRA License
Queen of Sheba restaurant, 1503 Ninth St. NW, has
reapplied for a Class C Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) license due to noise concerns raised by the neighborhood. The commission
has worked out a settlement agreement, but the restaurant’s owner is out of the country and hasn’t had
a chance to accept it. The commissioners voted to
protest the ABRA license until a settlement can be
reached and to advise ABRA and the ABC Board of
their actions.

Next Meeting at New Location
ANC 6E will meet again at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 7 at the
Shaw/Watha T. Daniel Library located at 1630 Seventh St. NW. Visit www.anc6e.org to view the newsletter; follow on Twitter @ANC6E and on Facebook
by searching ANC6E. Steve Holton can be contacted at ssholton@gmail.com and followed on twitter
@ssholton. u

ebruary can be a blah and blustery
month. It starts out with that weird
groundhog shadow-spotting ritual, and
honestly I think he’s full of it. While it
is a short month, it’s a long slog until
March. The lone bright spot for some is the candycoated Hallmark holiday in the middle. Before you
start in, hear me out! I know that many smart and
sophisticated people proclaim to hate Valentine’s
Day because it seems insipid, and the candy-heart
approach to love is a little too junior-high-school.
They are not wrong necessarily, and yet …
I love it! If a holiday that nearly mandates the
gifting of chocolate is wrong, I don’t think I want to be
right. The greeting card industrial complex has done
us all a favor in pushing something to look forward to
in the bleak mid-winter. Life is hard and sometimes
boring, so I see no reason to hate an excuse to bestow
a sweet or a thoughtful note on a beloved. Sure, we
all should be doing this year-round, but let’s be real.
Modern life has expanded the rituals of Valentine’s Day beyond the usual chocolate and flowers and dinners out between romantic partners,

Jen
DeMayo

Photo: Elizabeth Nelson

and people have begun to treat friends and other loved ones as well. Valentine’s Day has become
a way to celebrate female friendship, and I fully
support this. As long as we keep those Valentine’s
Day dollars local, I say lighten up. Besides, chocolate is a known mood lifter and possible health
food if you read the right websites.

Oh, you need gift ideas? Fine.

Heart shaped jewelry and other treats can
be found at Boutique on the Hill

Hill’s Kitchen sells boxes of caramels by Maryland
chocolate maker Chouquette. The five-piece Message hearts leaves those chalky candy hearts in the
dust and will please even the grouchiest V Day hater. J. Chocolatier offers sea salt truffles to soothe a
broken heart, fuel a burning romance, or simply
escalate a chocolate obsession.
Jewelry is never a bad idea. If you want to bestow a beloved with baubles you can do so with local
merch. Clothes Encounters is an excellent place to

find a vintage, one-of-a-kind piece that comes with a
backstory. The Forecast is a great stop for a signature
piece, and the folks at Boutique on the Hill have
some on-theme heart-shaped pendants and rings.
The gift of touch can be a healing surprise.
Lavender Retreat, Spa on the Hill, Healing Arts
of Capitol Hill, and Freed Bodyworks all offer options for massage and other body treatments. A
gift certificate for one is an excellent way to counter the winter blues. Couples massage, anyone?
Experience gifts are always a win. Go ahead
and make that reservation at a local favorite or
find a new one. Many restaurants will offer a Valentine’s Day menu which may or not appeal to
you, so check with the restaurant first.
Show your Valentine your poetic side at the
Folger, which is celebrating the recent publication
of Pablo Neruda’s “lost poems” in “Then Come
Back” on Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Pulitzer Prize fi-

nalist Forrest Gander and
emerging poet Javier Zamora
will read their favorite Neruda pieces and from their own
works, followed by a reception
and book-signing.
If you prefer to observe
Valentine’s Day on a weekend, treat yourself to a concert by Chiarina, a musical
trio consisting of cellist Carrie Bean Stute, pianist Efi
Hackmey, and soprano Laura
Strickling. They will perform
a concert entitled Voyages in
Song, Saturday, Feb. 14, 4
p.m., at St. Mark’s Church.
Tickets are $10-$15 and available via www.chiarina.org.

Martin Luther
King Junior Sign
Project

Heart shaped jewelry and other
treats can be found at Boutique
on the Hill

Speaking of love. In the aftermath of the recent presidential election, Hill resident Meg Sabar despaired
over the increased divisiveness and hateful words
and actions of some people. Instead of doing
something idiotic and hopeless, like downing
shots of Fireball while yelling at strangers on The
Washington Post’s “Comments” section, she took
a different and more positive approach. One evening in December she was struck by Dr. King’s
famous quote, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive
out hate; only love can do that.”
She remembered how she and her family used to live in an apartment on East Capitol
Street, and her young son and his friend made lots
of money selling hot chocoloate to the crowds arriving for Barack Obama’s first inauguration. The
inaugural crowds walk along our neighborhood
streets from the bus parking in RFK stadium, and
she thought about greeting them with wave after
wave of quotes about love, justice, and tolerance.
She ordered 300 signs featuring several of
Dr. King’s most well-known quotes, posted on local Listservs and Facebook, and even created a
Facebook group dedicated to the project. With
her kids and friends she began handing out signs
door to door. More people came over to pick up

signs and put them in their
yards, and some made donations to the cause. What began as one woman’s idea became a movement.
My Facebook feed began to be filled with photos
of signs as neighbors snapped
pictures to share with friends
and family around the world.
Just taking the dog for a walk
became an emotional event
as people stopped and gave
thanks for the good fortune
to live where they do.
One Hill resident, Lou
Ivey, who lives in the 800
block of North Carolina Avenue, was deeply moved, noting that his block was very well
represented with signs. “Happily, she distributed many of
them before the MLK holiday, so my eyes filled with
tears that morning when I

opened my door.
The project has not ended. People who visited for the inaugration and Women’s March are
interested in replicating the idea in their own
communities. Sabar is researching a way for folks
to have signs printed and mailed directly to them.
To keep up with the project you can follow www.
facebook.com/MLKsignscapitolhill.

News Bites
Claire Portolese, owner of the youth dance school
Tippi Toes Dance, has released a fourth CD, entitled, “On Top of the World.” It offers upbeat, kidfriendly music with confidence building lyrics.
The CD is available at www.tippitoesDC.com.
Look for a spring article featuring all of the many
youth dance opportunities in the neighborhood.
Jill Strahan is retiring as executive director
of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. She has been
director since 2007 and was a board member prior to that. The organization will now be led by
co-directors Amy Moore and Hannah Jacobsen
Blumenfeld, both of whom have worked for the
organization for some time. Despite the change
in leadership we assume the CHAWsomeness
will remain unchanged. u

{community life}

Volunteering on the Hill

Preserving the Historic Beauty of Capitol Hill

O

by Quentin Wodon

ne of the largest and oldest civic organizations in our
she explained. “The Society stepped in, applied the needed nudge, and
neighborhood is the Capitol Hill Restoration Society
the sign was taken down.” That got her interested in the CHRS. “I’ve
(CHRS). It has close to a thousand members. Founded
volunteered in several different ways, as webmaster, organizing the Presin 1955, it aims to protect the neighborhood’s historic arervation Cafes, managing docents for the Mothers’ Day House and Garchitectural and residential character. Thanks to its effort,
den Tour. I love the Hill to bits and it gives me great satisfaction to proCapitol Hill was recognized as a historic district in 1976, a designation
tect it and preserve it for future generations to enjoy. And it’s a ton of fun
provided through the US Department of the Interior under the auspices
to get to work with such lively and committed people.”
of the National Park Service. The designation protects more than 8,000
Michelle Pilliod Carroll, another volunteer, explained that she
historic buildings, some of which might have been destroyed or signif“wants to be an active participant in an organization that believes so
icantly altered without
strongly in preservthe designation.
ing the integrity of our
The CHRS angreat neighborhood.”
nually holds its popuShe volunteers each
lar House and Garden
year for various events
Tour each Mother’s
including the annual
Day. This is also a prihouse tour, selling admary opportunity to volvertising and tickets, as
unteer as a house tour
well as overseeing the
docent or to help sell
tea/refreshment break.
tickets for the tour. Oth“I have served as tour
er community events
chair in the past, using
at which CHRS parmy professional experiticipates include the
ence as the owner/operFourth of July parade
ator of a meeting-planand the Barracks Row
ning company,” she
Festival.
said. “Helping to put
Additional optogether events such
portunities to volunas the House Expo, the
teer include speaking
CHRS birthday party,
at CHRS Preservation
various receptions, and
Cafes and membership
the Dick Wolf Memomeetings, writing for its
rial has been a great joy
newsletter, working on
and pleasure.”
its website, or helping
If you would like
out with the Dick Wolf
to get involved or to doCHRS Board member Beth Purcell gives a walking tour of Emerald Street NE
Lecture. Dick Wolf was
nate, visit http://chrs.
a tireless advocate for
org/ and contact one of
historic preservation and neighborhood development on the Hill. The
the officers. To remain in the loop about what’s happening, especially
third annual Dick Wolf Lecture will be held on March 24 at the Hill
in terms of neighborhood development, don’t forget check out the SociCenter. Those interested in serving the community can also apply for
ety’s newsletter, published 10 times per year.
membership on the CHRS board.
Quentin Wodon is president of the Rotary Club of Capitol Hill, which meets
Elisabeth Nelson is president of CHRS. She joined the society more
every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:30 a.m. at the Dubliner
than a decade ago, after observing an illegal sign on her block sporting an
on F Street. To contact Quentin, or to learn more about the Rotary Club of
offensive anti-gay message. “The neighbors couldn’t find anyone in the
Capitol Hill Pro Bono Initiative, please send him an email through the Contact
District government willing to enforce the law and remove the eyesore,”
Me page of his blog at www.rotarianeconomist.com. u

February 2017 H 99

{community life}

Living Below the Tower
A Note from a Poet in Its Shadow

T

he month before Donald Trump
was elected president of the United States the National Museum
of African American History and
Culture (NMAHC) opened its
doors. This newly built institution should serve
as a watch tower from which to view the next four
years. Too often we read history books while suffering from amnesia. Our eyes read words and
photo: Jason Yen

paragraphs but we fail to comprehend the narrative that can grab ahold of us like a ball and chain.
After the November election many could be
seen openly weeping as if another young black
boy had been killed in the street. There are many
types of crimes, and too many are never solved.
Will we ever truly know how or why Trump won?
Speak too much Russian to me and I’ll begin to
write my notes from the underground.
It might be too easy to believe our nation has
moved from reality to becoming a reality show.
I would prefer to believe we’ve simply embraced
science-fiction as a way of life. When do the aliens
arrive? Will they laugh when they say, “Take me
to your leader”?
If you visit the NMAHC on the corner of
14th and Constitution be prepared to stay for a

100 H Hillrag.com

by E. Ethelbert Miller
spell. Make this place your temporary home or
tied hands. Congress should not have the final
shelter. There is no way you can weave from the
say over the desires and dreams of DC residents.
ground floor to the top without being moved, anWe must refuse to be ruled from any tower which
gry, encouraged, inspired, and hopeful. You will
is not our own.
leave this museum empowered and ready to conDuring the next four years Washington could
tinue the struggle waged by our ancestors.
lose the luster of being the political capital and
Now is the time to hold high the torch of
become a “Palin” runner-up to the Trump Tower
freedom and feel the heat of righteousness. It
in New York. What’s a presidential White House
would be foolish to think an entire movement
if the president is never home? Meanwhile, how
can be derailed or stopped by one
many District residents will not miss the speedman with a Tweet. Yes, Trump was
ing limo, the police cars, and the diverted traffic?
elected, and we wish him well, but
Somehow, I can’t see President Trump stoplet us not forget what Bernie Sandping in at Politics and Prose or even the nice liters mentioned in his book “Our
tle East City Book Shop on the Hill. Oh, and
Revolution: A Future to Believe
what will happen to Washingtonian societal life?
In”: “This campaign was never just
Who will we gossip about? Will there still be a
about electing a president of the
need for a guest list? How many of us now reside
United State – as enormously imin the shadows of the Trump Tower and eat with
portant as that was. This
campaign was about
transforming America.”
The American Oven
Stand anywhere in
So what is this greatness that I smell?
the National Museum
Is it the smell of fresh warm bread, the sweetness
of African American Hisfrom flowers, the seductive smoke of cigarettes,
tory and Culture and be
the print of newspapers and newly published
reminded of how African
books? What is this odor of greatness swirling
Americans transformed
around our nation’s sky? Does it touch the workers
America. Stand near the
in stores and factories, the children in locker rooms
new plaque at the Williams Slave Pen
after games, the women bowed in churches
and you morph into Solomon Northrop
before the caskets of the dead? What smell
pondering how many more years of reembraces the earth of things, blue, brown and
maining a slave. Free a man, free a colin between? This American greatness, this burning,
ony.
this terrible thunder, this smell so unsettling
Change must be for the many and
to the ear, this blinding pride and arrogance,
not just the few. We must expand the
this hollow victory over dissent, which we cover
American living room, a struggle which
with flags, pious gestures and salutes, this burial
comes after years of fighting to open
of being first. What must be great again is what
schools, restaurants, and housing opis found that wasn’t lost. This smell so invisible
portunities. As a new Republican govto the poor, so tasteless to the rich, this fragrance
ernment begins to rule with a ruler for
of freedom once inhaled by slaves, this smell
cutting the federal government – let us
of hope, this endless hunger for tomorrow,
push for statehood in the District hardso choking and undefined.
er than ever before. If states’ rights are
back in vogue, let us be a state. Citi– E. Ethelbert Miller
zenship requires a free mind and not

the help?
Meanwhile the blues remind us of the need to be resilient, to find ways to live
and cope, or maybe it’s time
to play Duke Ellington’s sacred music. At the end of the
week comes Sunday and we
must be believers.
Our nation can survive
another Reconstruction and
the backlash blues Langston
Hughes wrote about. America
is a complex nation of beautiful notes. I still hear America singing – not just the poetry
and melody of Walt Whitman
but the complicated compositions of Thelonius Monk. Yes,
Tweet Thelonius, for this is the
21st century, and we are a city
on the move.
Just a few weeks before
Donald Trump was to place
his hand on a Bible, I wrote
the poem “American Oven.”
I walk the streets and speak
to friends and strangers about
the strange politics of now. I
take comfort in believing the
changing weather is always an
omen for goodness, and that
our city is witness to another
chapter in history, a chapter
in which our differences don’t
bend or tear the pages.
The city of Washington is
great, as is our nation. It has always been this way.
Writer and literary activist E.
Ethelbert Miller hosts “On the
Margin” every Thursday morning at 9 a.m. on WPFW (89.3
FM). He was awarded the 2016
George Garrett Award for Outstanding Community Service in
Literature by the Association of
Writers & Writing Programs. “The
Collected Poems of E. Ethelbert
Miller,” edited by Kirsten Porter,
was published by Willow Books
in 2016. u

February 2017 H 101

Stuart-Hobson Middle School seventh
grader Jamie Morris works on her Unity
on the Hill project in Ms. Claire Smullen’s
art class on Jan. 11.

Uniting Our Community
‘Unity on the Hill’ Campaign Thrives
After the 2016 Election

S

article and photos by Christine Rushton

eventh graders in Claire Smullen’s
art class hunched over posters, tracing the lines of color on the stock
paper as their pencils and crayons
filled in the details.
During a mid-morning class on a
Ms. Claire Smullen helps a student in her seventh
Wednesday in January, the Stuart-Hobson
grade art class with their Unity on the Hill assignment
on Jan. 11.
Middle School students were intent on finishing the posters that they had designed to
show symbols and pictures of unity, tolerance,
respect, diversity and community. They would later walk
each of their posters to local businesses and ask the owners to place them in their windows as a show of support
for the grassroots Unity on the Hill movement in the Capitol Hill community.
“A lot of new people will be coming to DC, and our
artwork shows what we stand for in our community,” said
Jamie Morris, a seventh grader in Smullen’s class.
Morris and other sixth, seventh and eighth grade art
students created their posters as a part of the Unity on the
Hill campaign, which started in early January. Stickers
with the words “Unity in the Community” started popMetro Mutts on H Street NE owner Kelly
ping up in the windows of Capitol Hill shops, restaurants,
Hartshorn puts up students’ artwork in her
schools and residences on Jan. 13. The idea: to share with
store’s window Jan. 13 for Unity on the Hill.
DC residents and visitors what the local — nonpolitical — community believes in.

102 H Hillrag.com

Giving a Voice to Those Who Couldn’t Vote

There’s been a lot of violence on the news lately, said Stuart-Hobson student Nyela Brown. Back in her art class with
Hill resident Laelia Gilborn and former Hill
Ms. Smullen, the seventh grader paused as she picked up
resident Soyun Park started Unity on the Hill
another pencil to fill in her unity poster. She and her classto give neighbors a way to show what they valmates were excited to put them up for everyone to see what
ue in a post-2016 presidential election envithey — students — think of the community.
ronment. Gilborn started the effort after hear“It’s a way to express ourselves,” Brown said, “so we
aren’t afraid.”
Smullen doesn’t tell her students
Smullen gives feedback to Stuart-Hobson seventh grader Alexis
what she personally believes. In her
Davis on her Unity on the Hill project Jan. 11.
art class, what they believe comes out
in the work they complete each day.
Students in middle school aren’t old
enough to vote in the United States,
but that can’t stop them from expressing what they truly feel. And these posters are their way of getting that message

A Grassroots Beginning

Smullen and the Stuart-Hobson Middle School art
students walk along H Street NE asking shop owners
to put their Unity on Hill posters on display.

ing about the incidents of hate in the news and in the
neighborhood following the November election. In one
case, a black worker at a construction site on the Southwest waterfront found a noose hanging from the building. On Dec. 13, other Southwest neighbors found leaflets filled with hateful comments toward Democrats on
their parked cars.
Gilborn decided to ask local organizer Park to help
her bring community members together and find a way
to give a voice to the community.
“It’s for anybody already living in our community feeling threatened and vulnerable,” Gilborn said, “to
know that we have their backs and will stick together as
a neighborhood.”
The effort has continued to gain supporters since
they announced it and began handing out posters and
stickers. The effort has extended to churches and schools
like Stuart-Hobson.
But Gilborn and Park remained clear on
one fact to community members — it’s a non-partisan
campaign. “This is not about anti-Trump; it’s about making sure this neighborhood continues to be the neighborhood it’s been for awhile,” Park said. “And to become
even more understanding.”

Metro Mutts on H Street NE owner Kelly Hartshorn and her
employee tape students’ artwork in her store’s window for
Unity on the Hill on Jan. 13.

out to their neighbors.
“This is a good opportunity for them to
participate and to feel like they’re a part of the
process,” Smullen said. She added: “At this
age, they want to move, get out, have their
voice heard.”
They succeeded in doing so. Each of their
posters got a spot in a business’s window or on
the windows and walls at Stuart-Hobson. The
community now knows how those sixth, seventh and eight graders view their home.

Businesses Place Unity Stickers in
Their Windows
Stores like Metro Mutts (508 H St. NE), The
Cupboard (1504 East Capitol St.) and the Pretzel Bakery (257 15th St. SE) joined in the efforts to unite the Capitol Hill community under those shared values of peace, tolerance,
diversity and respect. Most put up the light
blue and orange stickers before the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, but some said they
hope the movement continues.
It’s a chance to show people visiting or
new comers to the District that the community values its diversity, said the owner of Metro
Mutts Kelly Hartshorn.
“We understand it’s a very diverse community, but that’s also what makes us strong,”
she said.
Metro Mutts opened on the Hill in 2009,
and Hartshorn said she wants people to know
that they stand behind the local community to
ensure everyone is respected. For her, it’s not
OK to tolerate discrimination.
“It’s to show the nation that we’re more

than just ‘Capitol Hill’ as far as politics goes,” she said. “We are a community that is not going to tolerate
any sort of hate.”
Across the Hill at The Cupboard (1504 East Capitol St. NE),
owner Mary Ann Brazell stickered
her windows in time for the thousands of inauguration attendees and
Women’s March on Washington
supporters that streamed past her
business on Jan. 20 and 21.
“Capitol Hill is a really special place and I want our beliefs
and things we value to be respected,” she said.

Looking Beyond Jan. 20,
Growing Support
President Trump’s unexpected win in November left many in the District shocked and adrift,
especially the roughly 94 percent of residents
who voted for Democratic candidate Hillary
Clinton. Though the election results sparked
the Unity on the Hill campaign, it gives the
Hill’s and City’s residents a chance to speak
up for their community that people often mistake as an extension of the federal government.
Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen
(D) has voiced his support of Unity on the Hill,
calling the movement an “important” and “visible” expression of the Hill’s values.
“For those feeling vulnerable or fearful
in the face of hatred and violence, the Unity signs in storefronts, residences and places
of worship across the neighborhood will be a
powerful message to both residents and visitors
that all are welcome here,” Allen said.
Many DC locals have expressed anxiety
over Trump’s incoming administration and
how it has presented itself so far, he said. This
movement gives neighbors the chance to reinforce the values in their lives, and he said
he hopes to see it continue beyond the inauguration.
Smullen, Park, Gilborn and several other participating businesses agree — the significance needs to live past Jan. 20.
“That’s a message that we should be saying in every corner of our community every
day,” Allen said. u

Religious Roots
Bill was born on Nov. 20, 1944, to Mary Patricia
Smyth and William H. Phillips Jr. in Baltimore,
where he spent the first 15 years of his life. A devoted Catholic, he joined the Christian Brothers
during his freshman high school year. He attended Calvert Hall, the brethren’s local school, until his family’s relocation to Florida in 1959. After
graduating, Bill spent a “novitiate year” of spiritual formation with 33 other young men. He then
attended La Salle College in Philadelphia, another Christian Brothers institution.
Ultimately Bill choose not to become a
Christian Brother, transferring to Fordham University in New York City, where he took a bachelor’s degree in political science. Bill continued
to volunteer in affiliated Lasallian organizations,
and in 2016 the order recognized him as an Affiliated Member of the Institute.
The order had a profound influence on Bill’s
life. He lived by their golden rule. “It’s do good, avoid
evil. It’s, you know, be a good neighbor,” he stated in
a Jan. 17, 2013, interview with Stephanie Deutsch for

104 H Hillrag.com

the Ruth Ann Overbeck Capitol Hill
History Project.

A Career in
Banking
After a year at Fordham, Bill returned
to Orlando for
health reasons. He
worked in a variety
of jobs, including
insurance sales. Bill
was no salesman,
but he discovered a
flair for finance and
decided to pursue a
career in banking. A go-getter, he canvassed the
trust departments of Orlando’s financial institutions for opportunities. He was hired as a trust officer at the Commercial Bank of Winter Park in
1970. This began a nearly 46-year career in banking that took him from Orlando to Birmingham,
Ala., and eventually to Washington, DC.
In 2002 Bill founded William H. Phillips
& Company, a trust and investment consulting
practice. At the time of his death the firm had
$24.6 million under its management for 41 private clients.

A Love of Politics
While in Orlando, Bill became interested in politics. In 1970 he volunteered for Lawton Chiles,
who was walking across Florida waging a poorly
funded senatorial campaign. “I was on the volunteer staff and I would drive him around, pick him
up, do this, do that, because he would walk for
a while and then stop and do some other things
and go back to where he left and pick up and walk
some more. But he did, he walked every step of
the distance,” Bill recalled. Chiles won.
Bill volunteered for Bill Gunter’s successful
congressional campaign and worked on Gunter’s
later bids for the US Senate in 1974. His political
work brought him attention. Bill was appointed

Photo: Andrew Lightman

O

n any given evening you could always find Bill Phillips in Garfield
Park accompanied by his St. Bernard. I often encountered him as
I walked home after a day at the
Hill Rag. As we watched our dogs play, Bill and
I would talk about the neighborhood, the city,
and national politics. In an age when many of
our titans of industry exhibit an Olympian disdain for the less fortunate, his comments always
combined business acumen and a strong dose
of civic responsibility, leavened with a wickedly
dry, understated sense of humor. The paper and
I benefited from his advice as a devoted reader.
As my knowledge of the neighborhood deepened,
I came to appreciate how this quiet, understated
man had helped to shape Capitol Hill, the neighborhood he loved.
William “Bill” H. Phillips III died on Dec.
31, 2016, at George Washington University Hospital after a stroke. He was 72.

to Orlando’s Board of Zoning Adjustment, which
he chaired from 1974 to 1977.
In 1977, after his career led him to Birmingham, Bill continued his civic engagement. Falling in love with his new town, he got involved
with the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce,
the Alabama Bankers Association, and the city’s
Industrial Development Board. When an unarmed African-American woman was mistakenly
shot by a white police officer, Bill joined a delegation that worked with local civil rights leaders
to keep the city calm. “So,” Bill recalled, “the six
guys go in the room, and we talk, and essentially the African-Americans tell us, ‘Look, we can
take care of this. But we’re telling you, this is the
last time we’re going to do it. Taking care of this
means keeping a lid on it.’”
When Bill was let go from his banking position in 1986, he turned to full-time political work,
moving to Chattanooga, Tenn., to campaign for
incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Marilyn
Lloyd. After Lloyd’s reelection he took a position
as legislative director for Ben Erdeich, Birmingham’s Democratic congressman. When Erdeich
was elected chair of the banking subcommittee
of the House Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs
Committee, Bill became its staff director.
Leaving congressional work in 1992 after Er-

{community life}

deich’s defeat, Bill joined his political and banking experiences as a lobbyist at the American
Bankers Association. For a decade he focused on
deepening the organization’s relationships with its
state affiliates. Most importantly, however, the job
kept him in the District.

A Faithful Parishioner
When Bill arrived in Washington he settled on
Capitol Hill at the suggestion of a co-worker. He
joined St. Peter’s, a local Catholic congregation,
where he came under the charismatic spell of its
pastor, Rev. Michael J. O’Sullivan. Bill attended
Mass daily, often assisting as a lector, Eucharistic
minister, altar server, or sacristan. At O’Sullivan’s
urging he started a parish endowment, serving as
chair of its financial council for many years.
“It will be months before the community
comes to grips with just how much Bill did for all
of us on the Hill. His spirit is woven into the fabric of our parish. His physical presence was everywhere – as an altar server and reader and as a guiding force in our parish financial stewardship,” stated
Lynn Marsh Freeman, St. Peter’s rectory manager.
“He worked tirelessly on social justice issues,
especially as they affected our neighbors. I think
of him scheduling events for Capitol Hill Village and seminars for the parish. I think of him
helping our senior parishioners with the tricky
issues of managing their finances or moving out
of their homes and into assisted living,” Freeman
recalled. “But most of all I think of his smile and
his cheery ‘Well, hello’ greeting. May his spirit of
service live in all of us.”
In 2014 the Archdiocese of Washington
awarded Bill its 75th Anniversary Medal in recognition of his many years of service to St. Peter’s.
Perhaps most importantly, St. Peter’s is where
Bill met his wife, Monica C. Sullivan. “We met
through a program called Renew, which consisted of small groups of people discussing their faith
in their homes. After a few weeks I got up my
nerve and asked him out to a lecture at St. Peter’s,” recalled Sullivan. “We started sitting in the
same pew and that’s how it got started.”
They married in 1993, after purchasing a
home a few blocks away across from Garfield Park.

The Good Neighbor
In his Overbeck interview, Bill described Garfield Park as his “front yard.” “You don’t want

trash in your front yard. So you go out and pick
up trash,” he said. Bill joined his neighbors in
monthly cleanups. “We found a lot of needles
and other things that you don’t want to find,” Bill
recalled. When the organizers retired or left the
Hill, Bill took over responsibility for cleanups. He
formed Friends of Garfield Park (FGP), a nonprofit, to support the effort and was its president.
Bill would prove a tenacious fundraiser. He
began by partnering with neighboring Capitol
Hill Day School. To this day the school, which
uses the park as a recreational space for its students, contributes annually to FGP. However,
Bill had his sights on deeper pockets. Whether
it was the DC Department of Transportation or
the railroad giant CSX, if a construction project
bordered Garfield Park, Bill made sure they contributed to the improvement of his “front yard.”
Under Bill’s watchful eye Garfield Park
was transformed from a dilapidated, overgrown,
trash-filled eyesore into an important community amenity. The tennis and volleyball courts were
repaired and bocce courts built. Gardens sprouted. Pet waste stations were installed. An extensive playground was constructed and the space
under the freeway was repurposed as a skate park.
On any given day, the park throngs with strollers, dogs, students, sports enthusiasts, and skaters.
“Bill’s presence on the Hill will be missed
greatly, perhaps nowhere more than at Garfield
Park,” stated Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen. “The park has had no better friend, and Bill
cared for it as if it were his own front yard. There
was no detail too small. He knew if the grass was
cut too high, if the playground gate was locked,
and if the swings needed more mulch. His vision
and passion for this special park and space is one
that we all have a duty to continue.”
Bill’s work with Garfield Park connected
him to the larger Capitol Hill community. After
becoming acquainted with the work of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation (CHCF) while
securing grants for FGP, he joined its board of directors and served as its secretary. As a member
of the Community Grants Committee, he visited
applicants across the neighborhood to evaluate
requests for funds.
“Bill was passionate in his view that the foundation should be as generous as possible in helping to meet the needs of our community, especially in supporting the safety net provided by the

Capitol Hill Group Ministry and other social service organizations. We miss his good judgment,
good cheer, and friendship, and we always will,”
stated CHCF President Nicky Cymrot.
Bill joined the efforts of the Capitol Hill
Group Ministry in assisting the Hill’s less fortunate residents. There he met Martha Huizenga,
another ministry volunteer, who was the president of the Capitol Hill Association of Merchants
and Professionals (CHAMPS). Huizenga asked
him to serve as her vice president. Together they
transformed the organization into the neighborhood’s chamber of commerce. Bill served as
CHAMPS president himself from 2009 to 2011,
when he helped develop Celebrate Capitol Hill,
the organization’s nonprofit foundation, and
served as treasurer.
“Bill loved Capitol Hill. He saw CHAMPS
as a way of uniting the community’s small-business sector. He was instrumental in CHAMPS’
efforts at communicating with the District leadership, and in honoring outstanding businesses through the Hilly awards,” stated Mark Weinheimer, former president of CHAMPS. In more
recent years Bill lent his financial talents to
Capitol Hill Village, an organization devoted to
helping senior residents age in place. There he
created and managed the group’s endowment.
In 2013 CHCF honored him with its prestigious
Capitol Hill Achievement Award.
“Everything I do comes from the core
values I learned from the Christian Brothers.
You have got to give back,” Bill told his Overbeck interviewer.
As you stroll through the sylvan grounds of
Garfield Park, or gaze up at St. Peter’s newly repaired spire, think of Bill’s gift for giving back and
how it transformed the neighborhood in which
we dwell.
Bill is survived by his wife, Monica C. Sullivan, children Kate Hosmer (John) and William H.
Phillips IV; grandchildren, Benjamin, Matthew,
Joseph, and Isaac Hosmer; and sister Mary Feeney
(Michael). Contributions in Bill’s memory can be
made to St. Peter’s Endowment Trust Fund, 313
Second St. SE; Capitol Hill Community Foundation, 419 East Capitol St. SE; and Lasallian Volunteers, Hecker Center, Suite 300, 3025 Fourth St.
NE, Washington, DC, 20017. u

February 2017 H 105

{community life}

H Street Life

Pidzza offers gourmet pizzas
with a Turkish nod.

by Elise Bernard

E

ven in the midst of winter there’s
plenty to see and do in the neighborhood. Our neighbor to the
north, Ivy City, is experiencing a
revival of its own with new businesses opening on a frequent basis. Allow me
to make a few suggestions of places to visit.

Pidzza Serves Pizza with a
Turkish Twist

JO Wilson PTA to Hold
Silent Auction
The JO Wilson Elementary PTA (http://
jowilsondc.org/jopta) will hold a silent auction Feb. 24 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (https://
w w w. 3 2 a u c t i o n s . c o m / J O W i l s o n Au c tion2017). Tickets are $45, which includes
two drink vouchers. The auction will take
place at Anthology (625 H St. NE, http://anthologydc.com). Grab a seat by the fire or
face off against a friend at the pool table or
dart board. Enjoy light appetizers with your
cocktails, and remember that it’s all for a good
cause. One hundred percent of the proceeds
from the event and silent auction go to the
PTA to support school needs such as technology in the classrooms.
JO Wilson (http://jowilsondc.org), located at 660 K St. NE, serves a diverse student body with a range of academic, social,
and wellness needs. It’s a Title I school, with

Pidzza (http://www.pidzza.com, 2000 Hecht
Ave. NE), a fast-casual restaurant serving
“gourmet pizza with a Turkish flair,” opened
its doors last month in Ivy City. The name
Pidzza comes from combining the names of
two delicious dishes, the Turkish pide and the
more familiar pizza.
The menu features six signature pizzas,
including the cauli, which comes topped with
chicken, roasted curried cauliflower, cherry
tomatoes, caramelized onion, shredded mozzarella cheese, chopped fresh chives
and a roasted garlic cream cheese. I
was impressed by the artichoke pizza, which includes its namesake, plus
baby spinach, jalapeño, fresh mozzarella and a spinach artichoke cream.
Patrons can also create their own
pies from a generous selection of toppings such as roasted brussels sprouts,
pineapple, curried cauliflower, a
Turkish beef sausage called sucuk,
and vegan beef crumbles. The menu
is vegetarian and vegan friendly, and
even includes a gluten free dough.
Salads come with dressing options like
pomegranate-sumac lemon juice and
cucumber tahini yogurt.
Those with a sweet tooth might
want to order a dessert pizza. They offer one with a chocolate crust, Nutella,
shaved white chocolate, almonds and
seasonal fruits. All pizzas and salads
run about $10. Pidzza is open 11 a.m.
to 12 a.m. daily. This is Pidzza’s first
location, but they have others in the
LEFT: Ari’s Diner brings a classic diner vibe to Ivy City. RIGHT: Adult milkshakes at Ari’s Diner offer a little grown up fun
for kids at heart.
works, including one on H Street NE.

106 H Hillrag.com

photo: Andrew Lightman

over 90% of the student body qualifying for free or reduced price meals.
Enrollment is on the rise, as are test
scores, but the school still faces a
number of challenges. They need
your help to keep J.O. Wilson a beacon of opportunity for its students
and families for years to come.
You can also donate funds outright, or sponsor the auction. JOWPTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all gifts are
tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

ASL Trivia at the
Tavern at Ivy City
Smokehouse
Local fans of pub quiz nights would
be well advised to check out ASL
Trivia (https://www.facebook.com/
ASLTriviaDC) nights at the Tavern at Ivy City Smokehouse Tavern
(1356 Okie St. NE). It’s every second
and fourth Monday of the month
from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., but teams are
advised to arrive half an hour early
to secure a good table. The wheelchair accessible space is well lit, and
has round tables that make it easy to
confer with teammates.
Questions are delivered in
American Sign Language, but voice
interpretation is provided so everyone can play. Play consists of four
rounds, with eight questions per
round. It’s a chance to test your
knowledge, and maybe win a prize
or two along the way. On a recent
night the prizes included a round of
free shots for the winning team, a $50
gift card, and the option to have your
team’s tab covered for the night.

Geek Out with Nerds
in NoMa
The popular free speaker series
Nerds in NoMa (http://www.nomabid.org/events/nerds-in-noma) is
back for another season. Upcoming
topics for this season include a dis-

cussion of the role of the visual arts
community in the District (Feb. 21),
a look at NoMa-based think tanks
and how they improve the neighborhood (March 21), and an examination of the importance of green space
in the urban landscape (April 18).
The series runs from now
through April every 3rd Tuesday of
the month from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. All
events are free and open to the public. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the
speaking program begins at 6:30 p.m.
Nerds in NoMa events take place at
1200 First St. NE.

Support The Renovation of Potomac Gardens
and Hopkins Housing Developments
ICP Partners INC, a non-profit organization that focuses on providing affordable assets in urban and emerging markets through the
applications of real estate and infrastructure development assets
such as Potomac Gardens and Hopkins, Carthagerea, petitioners at
1229 G Street SE, Capitol Hill residents, and various other Americans are creating and advancing the attached 300,000 plus petition
at Change.org.
Please join our efforts by signing the petition for reforming affordable housing in Washington, DC, etc, specifically at Potomac Gardens and Hopkins.

“Life begins with Loving Nature and Mankind”.

Ari’s Diner
Expands Hours
Ivy City’s newly opened Ari’s Diner (http://www.arisdiner.com, 2003
Fenwick St. NE) has added dinner
service, expanding its hours from
6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through
Sunday. I stopped by to check the
place out on a recent Saturday afternoon and I definitely plan to add
it to my regular rotation. Ari’s offers
your standard diner fare like monte
cristo sandwiches ($12), and plates
of pancakes with eggs, hashbrowns,
and bacon or sausage. You can also
order an adult milkshake ($11). I
opted for a cookies and cream version with Bailey’s. It hit the spot,
and was gone before I could tackle my eggs benedict ($13). My dining companion selected the crabcake sandwich ($17), accompanied
by seasoned fries. Our friendly server made sure everything arrived
promptly, and a cook alerted us to
the chicken and waffles special that
he said will soon appear on the regular menu.

Call Kira Means
202-400-3508 or
kira@hillrag.com
for more information

For more on what’s abuzz on, and
around, H Street NE, you can visit my
blog at http://frozentropics.blogspot.
com. You can send me tips or questions at elise.bernard@gmail.com. u

February 2017 H 107

{community life}

Riverfront BID Annual Meeting
Green Line Leads Growth in the District
by Michael Stevens, AICP
Capitol Riverfront BID
The Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District (BID) held its Annual Meeting Luncheon on
Thursday, Jan. 12, at Nationals Park to celebrate
our ninth year of BID activities and the accomplishments of our Clean Team and public and private partners. Over 250 attendees heard a summary
of the BID’s activities over the past year, including
new development that is occurring in all four market segments. It was also noted that the civic side of
the neighborhood is growing, with the recent opening of the Arthur Capper community center and
the continued growth of the Van Ness Elementary School.
Residential growth continues to exceed expectations, with over 2,400 units under construction and approximately 3,800 units in the immediate pipeline. Residential buildings delivered in 2016
include the Park Chelsea, Arris, Ore 82, Dock 79,
and the Bixby. Based on this residential surge, the
neighborhood will increase its population from today’s 6,400 residents to 14,400 by the end of 2019.
Numerous condominium projects slated to break
ground in 2017 will add needed for-sale inventory
to our product mix.
The residential growth is fueling retail expansion as well, with approximately 200,000 square feet
of retail and restaurants under construction and another 100,000 square feet being readied for construction along Half Street. More than 10 new restaurants will deliver in 2017 as will the new Whole
Foods store at New Jersey and H Streets SE (part

Peter Harnik delivers keynote on
the value of urban parks.

108 H Hillrag.com

of the Agora residential building). Orange Theory
Fitness and Conte’s Bike Shop will deliver in 2017,
adding to the outdoor recreation ethos of the Capitol Riverfront.
Two new hotels delivered in 2016 – the Hampton Inn & Suites on First Street and the Homewood
Suites by Hilton at 50 M St. SE. The next hotel delivery will be the Marriott Residence Inn at the end
of February 2017 on First Street, bringing the number of hotels to four with a total of 737 rooms.
At the annual meeting, the BID recognized
two recipients of its Foundation Awards. The Public Sector Partner award went to the DC government and the Private Sector Partner award went to
the DC United team ownership group. With these
awards the BID recognized the catalytic nature of
the new soccer stadium for Buzzard Point and how
the stadium and new development will fill the “gap”
between the Capitol Riverfront and the Southwest
Waterfront and Wharf project.
We also recognized our Clean Team members
for their invaluable contributions throughout the
public realm that make the Capitol Riverfront an
inviting and attractive place to live, work, and visit.
Three members received special accolades for their
outstanding performance in 2016.
Peter Harnik, the former director of The Trust
for Public Land’s Center for City Park Excellence,
gave the event’s keynote address on the value of
urban parks in a densifying US cityscape. Harnik
spoke to design and programming qualities that
make parks special and well-used, citing numer-

Clean Team member Bernard Bynum named Employee
of the Year, pictured with Councilmember Charles
Allen & Clean Team manager Jerry Carcamo.

ous best practices from across the country. He noted that a park’s success is measured not only by simple usage but also by the range of activities provided,
the diversity of users in age and ethnicity, the common ground it creates, and the real estate value it
can leverage. He cited Yards Park and Canal Park as
two world-class parks that have defined and helped
create the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood and its
sense of community.
The BID also released new research conducted by RCLCO Real Estate Advisors as an update
to the 2012 “GreenPrint of Growth” study, which
pronounced the Green Line corridor as the District’s preferred location for new households and
development. We at the BID were suspecting that
the findings from 2012 had improved and even accelerated, and the updated study findings did not
disappoint. Simply put, the Green Line has captured more housing along its Metro stations than
any other line in Metro’s system since 2000. Significant findings of the “GreenPrint of Growth 2.0”
study include the following:
• In 2012, the study called the Green Line the
region’s growth driver; today it is the region’s
corridor of choice for young professionals.
• The Green Line is the strongest growth corridor for young professionals, attracting one
of two new households under age 35 in DC
since 2000.
• One out of four new apartments built in DC
since 2000 has been built within the Green
Line corridor. During that time the Navy

GreenPrint of Growth 2.0 data shows Green Line as the
strongest growth corridor for young professionals.

Yard/Ballpark station has added more
units than any other Green Line corridor station, and more than twice as many
as Shaw or U Street.
• Based on the average resale prices of condos built after 2000, the average income
for new Green Line households has increased since 2012 by nearly 50 percent
to $121,600. For the Navy Yard/Ballpark
station new household incomes have increased over 80 percent to $108,600.
• Green Line stations have captured 50
percent of DC’s retail development since
2010. The Navy Yard/Ballpark station area
alone will add the equivalent of 1.5 CityCenters worth of retail by 2019.
• The number of jobs located on the Green
Line corridor grew by 50 percent between
2010 and 2016, to 76,000 jobs, with highwage sectors representing the majority of
the growth.
• Residential growth and development activity along the Green Line corridor is anticipated to generate $3.66 billion in tax revenue to DC over the next 20 years, with
22,500 permanent jobs.
What does this all mean? New growth,
and particularly residential development, is
following the Green Line corridor as young
professionals seek the “one-seat ride” to employment centers and destination neighborhoods. It also speaks to the compelling nature of water as a neighborhood amenity. The
Navy Yard/Ballpark and Waterfront stations
saw more residential development than the
Mt. Vernon Square, Shaw, U Street, and Petworth stations combined.
The preferred growth corridor is shift-

ing from Northwest to Southeast and Southwest, and this should be good news for our office-attraction efforts in the Capitol Riverfront.
The next generation of employees is clustering along the Green Line corridor, which may
cause a shift in office locations and further enhance the retail and entertainment destination
qualities of neighborhoods along the corridor.
The Capitol Riverfront office market is seeing positive response to this trend, with two new
office buildings having started construction in
2016, a third starting in early 2017, and the possibility of a fourth in 2017/18. The Green Line
has become a series of destination neighborhoods, but it also provides accessibility to other entertainment and retail activity centers that
professionals desire. And it brings the region to
the Washington Channel and Anacostia River
as waterfronts play an increasingly important
role in our city.
Both the full report and the executive summary of the “GreenPrint of Growth 2.0” study,
the 2016 BID Annual Report, and the “State of
the Capitol Riverfront” presentation from the
BID’s annual meeting are available on our website at www.capitolriverfront.org.
For the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood
and the BID, 2016 was quite a year, as we experienced the largest development cycle in
the neighborhood’s history and continue to be
the District’s fastest growing neighborhood.
Please visit us over the next few months as
new restaurants open, more residential is added, baseball begins play in April, and our outdoor concerts and movies begin in late spring
and early summer. It is compelling and interesting to see city-building occurring on such
a large scale. u

February 2017 H 109

110 H Hillrag.com

{real
estate}

Real Estate
Matters
by Heather Schoell

Let’s Make a Deal!
When I was eight years old, my great-grandparents gave me a book entitled
“Now You Are 5!” Soon after, I held a yard sale. I really wanted to get rid of
that book. A little kid came with his mom, and I went over and asked him how
old he was. “Five.” Boy, did I have a book for him!
That was my first intentional, pointed sale. The stakes are higher now,
of course – houses, not 25-cent-books – but the mindset is the
same. Eyes and ears wide open, and don’t be afraid to
put yourself out there to make a deal.

Try this ploy to attract
attention from the seller,
“Here’s our baby, Max. He
would love to have your
yard to play in!” Cheesy,
but it might work.

No Offense!
Making deals is in my DNA. My ancestors
have lived and died by deals (Armenians and
Russian Jews – I’m not hyperbolizing), and
it’s something that comes naturally to me.
The last home I sold, I countered an offer
that came in a bit low with an amount over
the asking price. The agent was surprised and
wanted to make sure he heard me right, but
it worked. I got my seller the bottom line he
wanted. It wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t
asked. You have to go for what you want. Don’t
be shy, and don’t be afraid of offending the other
party. You won’t, if you do it right.
You don’t offer Safeway $5 for a $4 box of cereal, so why would you pay more than you have to
in buying a property? In a word, emotions! Buying
and selling homes, it’s easy to get caught up in the
feeling, the place you’ve made memories in, or the
intense need for that particular home, but don’t
lose sight that it is a financial transaction.
In a non-super-competitive situation (maybe
where a property has been on the market for a while),
if you want to buy a place for less than top dollar, you
have nothing to lose when you go to a seller with a lower
offer. There are nice ways to do that. With a smile, for example. Don’t be disparaging. Your agent can have a list of comparable sales to make your case, but maybe also play up the “young
people just starting out” thing or the “just had a baby” thing. Don’t

February 2017 H 111

be disingenuous, but market yourself as someone they should sell to for less.
Take this example. Buyer’s agent emails
seller’s agent. My clients, they’re new parents,
and they absolutely love the home, the street,
the neighborhood. They do have some concerns about that soft spot in the kitchen floor
and the hole in the roof, though, and with
that new baby, they don’t have a lot of extra
cash for repairs. We’d like to offer $X with a
$X credit to get those things fixed up. Now
you’ve gotten hopes up for a sale, painted a
lovely family into the house, pointed out the
things that might jeopardize the deal, and
then offered a way to make it still happen.
Does it always work? Of course not, especially if there’s a higher offer. But if there’s no
other offer, you’re at a good starting point for
friendly negotiations.
Will people be offended at an offer lower than the asking price? Would you be? Say
you had your house listed for $875,000, and
an offer came in for $870k. How about $860k?
Let me know when you’re getting offended.
$850k? It’s hard to say, right?
A lot of factors go into the equation, like
how fast you need to sell, or if it’s a cash offer, or if it’s the only offer after 45 days on the
market, or if you are secretly willing to go to
$800k. The point is, a buyer can’t know exactly what the seller’s situation and motivation
are, so it’s better to ask and not receive than
to assume the seller wouldn’t want to entertain your offer. If your offer is way too low,
though, negotiations may start on a sour note
or won’t happen at all, in which case you’re
not getting that home.
Obviously all bets are off when a property is like chum in the water. Sorry, but there’s
probably not going to be too much negotiating, not downward anyway. Your best tools are
throwing money at it and having the cleanest offer, which means the fewest contingencies possible, meaning it’s less likely to fall
through. Having to sell a current property first
is pretty much sudden death in a multiple-offer situation. Then there’s cash vs. financing,
and the inspection contingency. (I’ve said this
before: do not skip the inspection, but you
could inspect it before you submit the offer, in
which case you can skip the inspection con-

112 H Hillrag.com

tingency, thus making your offer that much
more attractive.)

Look Out, Listen Up
Let me preface this by saying that the following tactics are not necessarily needed (unless you feel like they might be), and they
didn’t sound psycho until the words were in
black and white. The intention here is not
to be creepy but to have more information
to make a more informed offer and edge out
the competition.
Your agent should be asking questions of
the seller’s agent, and gleaning information
to help write a successful offer. You can go to
an open house and notice if the sellers own
a pet or if they have kids. Don’t be a stalker
about it, but note any obvious likes, or that a
cat or dog lives there. Also, listen up – neighbors might be there. What do they have to say
about the house or the block, or the reason
the owners are selling? Maybe they’re being
relocated, in which case they’ll likely want to
want to wrap things up quickly and cleanly,
in which case you don’t put in your offer that
you want items fixed. (You can ask for a credit toward repairs, but the repairs are on your
time, not theirs.)
If you think it’ll help your case, and if
you can live with the cheesiness, add a personal note to the seller with your offer. (“Our
dog will love playing in the yard! Our cat
would love to curl up in the sun of the bay
windows!”) Their agent is certifiably crazy if
he or she actually passes that stuff to the client, but it doesn’t hurt to try. You could also
circumvent said agent and send something directly to the seller, like a small gift for them
or their pet. It’ll make you stand out as either
an awesome person whom they should sell to,
or in a competitive situation it might give you
an edge if all other terms are equal.
Bottom line here, folks: if he looks like
he’s in the ballpark of age five, don’t be afraid
to walk up to that kid and ask him how old he
is. Go get ‘em!
Heather Schoell is a Capitol Hill REALTOR with
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty and can be reached at heathersdc@gmail.
com, at the office at 202-608-1880, or by cell at
202-321-0874. u

Changing Hands
Changing hands is a list of most
residential sales in the District of
Columbia from the previous month.
A feature of every issue, this list, based
on the MRIS, is provided courtesy of
Don Denton, manager of the Coldwell
Banker office on Capitol Hill. The
list includes address, sales price and
number of bedrooms.
NEIGHBORHOOD

This exquisite Connell & Schmidt renovation
offers thoughtful details in every corner. An
enormous 5 BR/3.5 BA three story home OR
owners’ residence UP with 2 BR/1BA DOWN
– perfect for guests, full time rental, or Airbnb.
But wait, there’s more! Two rear decks, a real
back yard, and secure off-street driveway.
The craftsmanship, finishes, and spacious interior make this home a stand out! Perfectly positioned steps from Metro and a short stroll from
the restaurants, bars, and shops of Barracks
Row and Pennsylvania Avenue.

One of The Hill’s GRANDEST Pre-war apartment homes, The Linville features a coveted location and classic dimensions – nothing cramped
here! This bright condo home has great flow,
original HW floors, fixtures, and much more! A
gracious entry foyer leads to the large central
living room, separate dining room, and guest
room/den - all bathed in morning sun. The renovated kitchen has a great layout and boasts a
Thermador cooktop w/built-in grill, new stainless appliances, and breakfast bar. Owner’s
bedroom features a wall of built-in drawers and
cabinets AND a walk-in closet!

1420 K St. SE
3BR/2BA
$770,000

Just 2 blocks from Potomac Ave Metro and
the renaissance of Penn. Ave. shops and
cafes, #1420 stands tall alongside its fellow Federal-front homes and sleek new loft
condos. A classic foyer welcomes you to
2,000 sf of finished living space over 3 levels. Large wide-open living and dining room
with exposed brick and oak floors leads to
an expanded, renovated eat-in kitchen.
And just beyond, a low-maintenance deck
and private parking garage! Don’t miss this
opportunity for the complete package for
convenient and stylish city living!

!

LD

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CO

Capture your chance to call East Cap home!
The latest transformation by Quest Home Builders delivers superior construction and attention
to every detail. From the front porch through
3 levels, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and beyond
to the rear deck and private parking. Entirely
rebuilt inside and out: new roof, structure,
systems, plumbing, mechanicals, wiring, and
windows. The fully finished lower level offers
bonus living space - den/media room, bed,
and full bath. All perfectly placed 3 blocks
from both Lincoln Park and the Metro escalator.

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1605 E. Capitol St. SE
$949,000
4BR/3.5BA

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YOUR
HOME
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We work to prepare and
present ONE BEAUTIFUL
NEW LISTING each week.
If you are considering
a sale anytime in 2017,
NOW IS THE TIME
to have us visit for
a free consultation on
the steps to success!

An example of a functional fitness exercise:
Ben Fidler squats to pick
up a weighted ball, lifts
it over his shoulder,
then lets it drop.

Y

esterday you had a great workout. You pressed and pulled
more weight with perfect
form than you ever had on
the circuit machines. In fact,
you’ve been consistent in getting in your
gym workouts all month. However, when
you got home that evening you reached
into the closet to get a box down. Now your
neck hurts. How could that happen?
You’re probably not doing enough of

the type of exercises that prepare your body
to perform your daily activities with ease
and efficiency. You’re not doing enough
functional exercise.

all movements the body is designed to do every
day.” They focus on building a body capable of
doing real-life activities in real-life positions, not
just lifting a certain amount of weight in an idealized posture created by a gym machine.
Functional fitness is not a new method of
training. It’s been around for several decades. It
got its origin in rehabilitation. Therapists use it to
retrain patients with movement disorders so they
can return to normal life activities after injury or surgery. “Fitness professionals have been talking about and
using functional fitness exercises for years,” said Ben.
“Conventional weight training isolates muscle groups, but it
doesn’t teach the muscle groups
you’re isolating to work with others,” says Greg Roskopf, MS, a biomechanics consultant with a Muscle Activation Techniques. “The key
to functional exercise is integration. It’s
about teaching all the muscles to work
together rather than isolating them to
work independently.”
I’m working with a client
who is returning to exercise after
an illness. He wants to get back
onto the squash court. Twice a
week we combine exercises using weights to give individual
muscles strength, with exercises
that involve balance, twisting, reaching, bending and pushing – all movements he will need on the squash court.

Functional exercises help stabilize your spine
and improve posture. They also improve balance,
and they create toned muscles and allow you to
stay upright and stand strong.
For example, I was walking my dog on a
warm summer evening. Suddenly I tripped on
an uneven part of the sidewalk. I lunged forward. My chest was parallel with the sidewalk.
To my horror, I was sure I was going to eat some

What are the Benefits?
Functional exercises can help anyone - injured, overweight, baby boomers, millennials or athletes. They are adapted to an individual’s specific needs and goals. Functional
exercises are challenging and fun. They provide
variety to workouts. “You’ll have healthier joints
and stronger musculature which means denser
and more active muscle fiber – muscles that are
more likely to turn on when needed and can produce more force when required,” explained Ben.
“It can be a simple as being able to open up a jar,
lift a suitcase or get up from a chair.”
The benefits are many. They are more neurologically demanding than machine exercises.

122 H Hillrag.com

concrete. Instead, still holding the leash, my
core muscles activated. I lifted my torso up and
stood on the sidewalk once again, shaken
but relieved.
Functional exercises can also help you become
more aware of subtle irregularities in your body allowing you to correct the imbalances quickly.

Incorporating Functional
Exercises into Your Routine
There’s no need to abandon the weight machines
at the gym. A combination of weight-bearing activities with functional exercises can create balance in
the muscular structure of your body.
Functional exercises can be done anywhere
– at home, outside or in a gym. At Sport & Health
Capitol Hill at 3rd and G Sts. SE (formerly Results Gym), a former basketball court has
been redesigned into a functional
fitness space. “The goal is to create more functional space for
members,” said Ben. “We want
members to be able to incorporate modes of exercise in one
room instead of going up and
down looking for equipment in
different places in the gym.”
The large space has weight
machines lining one side that allows
for neuromuscular activation and an
Astroturf lane on the other for functional movement such as sprinting,
jumping or lunging. “We also have
two skill mills which is a kinetic-powered treadmill with resistance,” said Ben. Instead of you
keeping up with the speed of a
traditional treadmill you actually create the speed through your
own force on the skill mill.
The room also has other popular tools that promote functional
exercise such as stability balls and Bosus which force you to work your core to
keep your body balanced while you’re lifting a weight. A multifunctional, circular
exercise workstation called, “Hoist” in the
center of the room gives several members
the opportunity to work out at the same time
on functional fitness equipment such as the TRX.
Sport & Health is also in the process of
building a small group training program called,
‘Explosive Performance’ held in that room that
will incorporate functional movement patterns
into the training.

Where to Start?
You could take a class or hire a personal trainer, or you could start rethinking the way you are

Allen A. Flood, M.D.
DERMATOLOGY

working your muscles. For
example, if you are used to
using a leg press machine, try
a two-legged squat with proper form or a single-legged
squat from a seated position. If you usually use the
pull-down machine or seated row to work your lats, try
a bent-over row. Lean over
a bench, hold the weight
in one hand with your arm
hanging straight down. Then
pull the weight up as your elbow points towards the ceiling. Finish with your upper
arm parallel to the ground.
Compare that exercise to lifting a suitcase or bending over
to pick up something, tasks
most of us do regularly.
Functional exercises can be more tiring and
challenging than weight machines. You can’t do functional exercise with the same
levels of intensity as machine
exercise. But, just like weight
lifting, functional exercise
can be performed every other day.
Functional exercises are
a way to make your workouts
more interesting. It’s also a
practical way to begin to get
stronger and more flexible
and help your body to work
better.
To learn more about
Sport & Health’s functional fitness programs, contact
Ben Fidler: bfidler@sportandhealth.com.
Pattie Cinelli is a holistic personal trainer, yoga and Pilates
instructor who has been teaching and practicing functional
fitness for 20 years. To contact
Pattie with fitness questions or
column ideas email her at: fitness@pattiecinelli.com. u

Why Live With
Joint Pain?
A middle aged woman from the
neighborhood came in with longstanding
knee pain and physical therapy and pain
killers had not gotten rid of the situation.
X-rays and chiropractic exam confirmed
that her pelvis, leg and foot - a complete
chain of movement - was slightly buckled
inward. Gentle chiropractic work to all
three joint components fixed the pain.

For the better health and life experience
of you and your family
Dr. David Walls-Kaufman
Capitol Hill Chiropractic Center
411 East Capitol St., SE | 202.544.6035

Read More About This Subject On
www.capitolhillchiropractic.com
Serving The Capitol Hill Community Since 1984
February 2017 H 123

{health and fitness}

Let’s Get Physical

District Combatives –
Critical for Everyone
by Stacy Peterson

I

f you were violently attacked, how would you
respond? This question was asked at a class
I attended at District Combatives located in
District Crossfit on Half Street SW. I thought
to myself, “Well, I know I’m in good physical
shape, but I also know that’s not enough.” My answer quickly became, “I don’t feel I would be able
to get myself out of a sticky situation.” This got me
thinking I need to do something about it.
Maybe you have been in a violent confrontation where it was critical to defend yourself, but
you didn’t have the tools to get to safety. Or maybe you did and felt lucky to have escaped. When

walking to work, down the street a few blocks to a
friend’s house, or to the grocery store, do you feel
concern about knowing how to safeguard yourself?
Don’t get stuck feeling helpless. Now is the perfect
time to let those worries go by the wayside by engaging in District Combatives.

What Is Combatives?
Combatives is a practical, no-nonsense self-defense
method that can be used by individuals of all ages
and abilities to help them to identify, de-escalate,
protect, and disengage from a threatening or violent situation. Law enforcement agencies across
the US embrace it.
The pre-qualification requirement
identifies your selfdefense objectives
and helps tailor your
training sessions. “Violence and threats
are physical, psychological, and emotional,” explained
District Combatives founder and
chief instructor Ben
Drader. “Typically
the psychological aspect is present first. If
you find yourself in a
physical altercation,
what is your motivation to continue the
fight when you’re
out of breath, your
muscles are fatigued,
and you feel like you
have nothing left?”
District Combatives
brings out the best in
you, he says.

Crystal & Frank practicing during
the scenario fight class. Learn how
to get out of though situations,
creating space for you to be able
to get away to safety. Photo credit:
Stacy Peterson of Acceleration Sports.

My First Class
Written on Drader’s shirt was “Be Your Own Bodyguard.” This statement reappeared again and again
throughout the class. After a warmup geared to prepare for the workout, the seven members of our
group, from various backgrounds, ages, and physical sizes, paired up with a partner and practiced
collarbone taps and punches, switching partners
every few minutes. I soon realized I had to adjust
my tactics from person to person, based on height,
size, and techniques. I am a female standing 5 feet
10 inches tall and weighing 145 pounds. Therefore, being paired with a 350-pound man was intimidating and extremely different than my strategies with a female weighing 130 pounds.
Crystal, a mother of two, has been attending
District Combatives for six weeks and loves it. “I
was working out three days a week in the weight
room but wanted something different that would
provide me with a challenging workout, yet leave
me mentally stimulated,” she said. Practicing the
techniques with different people was eye opening.

Experience - Talent - Results
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MICHAEL ANTHONY

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SALON

work. Footwork allows
you to put
yourself in a
balanced and
powerful position so you
don’t slip or
fall.
Number
four, carry a
small handheld flashlight or car
Crystal & Frank attacking Daniel. Multiple Attacker Scenario. If attacked by
key. If you
multiple people, remember, mobility is key to getting home safe! (two attackers
don’t want to
and one victim). Photo credit: Ben Drader of District Combatives.
carry pepper
spray, a knife,
“One of the girls was really quick getting in
or other weapon, a handheld flashlight or car
and out with her punches, and I tried to adjust
key can give you enough space to get away.
to that. Whereas the bigger guys have the lonMany associate a flashlight with the police or
ger arm reach and were taller, so something I
military, disrupting their attack. A light shined
tried to do was bring them down to my level.”
into the eyes can give you a few moments to
Drader explained that “most risk facrun away. In a pinch, a flashlight or a car key
tors can be mitigated with minimal training.”
can become a weapon when held firmly and
Knowing these key training aspects will help
targeted at soft and sensitive parts of the body.
you deliver the right message to an aggressor.
Drader offers weekly classes designed to
I recommend you learn these skills, practice
work against real attacks, giving you the physithem, and encourage your loved ones to parcal tools to defend yourself. Classes are personticipate as well.
able, held in a friendly environment and small
District Combatives does not only imgroup setting. For more information or to atprove your ability to minimize and defend a
tend a class at District Combatives visit www.
physical altercation, it teaches you tools valuDistrictCombatives.com. You can also contact
able in other areas of life as well. The training
Ben Drader directly at Ben@DistrictCombatmethod is based on how the body operates,
ives.com. District Combatives is located inside
functions, and moves when under duress, not
District Crossfit at 1525 Half Street SW.
just in a physical confrontation but in any
I learned that I have a lot to gain, which is
type of confrontation, such as asking for a
why I’ve joined Drader’s regular weekly classraise at work.
es. Hope to see you there!

Four Important Concepts
Number one, establish eye contact. If you feel
someone is following you, establish eye contact to let them know you know they’re there.
Failure to establish eye contact may encourage
an aggressor. Also, if you show you are aware
of their presence, it takes away the possibility
of a surprise attack.
Number two, create space. Allowing extra
physical space between you and your aggressor limits their ability to physically harm you.
Number three, pay attention to your foot-

Stacy Peterson, MS, CSCS, CHHC, is a functional nutrition educator, holistic health coach,
and strength and conditioning coach practicing
whole-foods nutrition and physical training for individuals of all ages and activities on the Hill. She
offers an integrative aspect to everyone’s healthcare and performance team. For recipes, nutrition, and exercise tips sign up for the monthly
newsletter at www.accelerationsports.net. To see
how we can help you achieve your health and/
or fitness goals contact Acceleration Sports by
emailing stacy@accelerationsports.net or calling
805-704-7193. u

TAE
KWON DO
THOUGHTFUL
CURRICULUM
Not Just Kicking & Punching

FREE TRIAL CLASS
Every Wednesday at 6 P.M.
Like us on Facebook:
“Taekwondo Capitol Hill”

mastergutman@gmail.com
NOW BACK AT CHRIST CHURCH
EVERY THURSDAY
620 G STREET SE

February 2017 H 125

{health and fitness}

The District Vet

Take Your Pet to the Dentist

I

t is recommended that we humans see the
dentist at least once per year. The same can
be said for your dog and cat. Dental health
is an important aspect of your pet’s overall
well-being. We brush several times per day,
decreasing the amount of plaque that builds up on
our teeth. Our dogs and cats do not have this capability. Ancestral dogs and cats used to have a rougher diet, leading to less build-up, but even they had
dental disease.
While your pet should be examined by a veterinarian once per year, you should see your vet
earlier if you note any of the following problems:
•

broken or loose teeth

•

baby teeth that have not fallen out by

eight months of age

•

bad breath

•

pain in or around the mouth

•

swellings on the face or in the mouth

•

masses or growths in the mouth

•

heavy tartar on teeth or discolored teeth

•

unusual drooling, dropping of food

when eating

•

atypical chewing and discomfort

when chewing

Pets may have dental problems that are not
readily apparent. Remember that a tooth is like
an iceberg: most of it is invisible, under the gumline. If a pet is uncomfortable, not eating well,
and simply not themselves, they may be experiencing oral pain.
Regular cavities, as seen in people, are less frequent, but periodontal disease is common in pets
by age three. If not addressed early, it will worsen
and cause discomfort and tooth loss. Poor dental
hygiene may also lead to other systemic problems
such as kidney disease, heart problems, urinary infections, and overall poor health.
Veterinary dentistry is much more than simply removing visible tartar. It includes having
trained individuals examine and clean teeth, remove damaged teeth, evaluate the oral structures,

126 H Hillrag.com

by Dan Teich, DVM
assess overall health, and form a plan to keep your
pet healthy. In certain cases even root canals can
be performed.
After an examination of your pet’s mouth, the
veterinarian may recommend a sedated oral examination and cleaning. Sedation is frequently necessary. Your dentist will administer techniques to
minimize pain and will ask you routinely if you are
comfortable. You are also capable of understanding what is happening and will hold still for procedures. Your furry friend does not understand what
is happening and may move, be in discomfort,
hurt themselves, or even bite. Anesthesia, applied
safely, allows the veterinarian to perform efficiently, safely, and effectively. The benefit of a sedated exam far outweighs the risks in most patients.
After a thorough visual examination of the
mouth, the veterinarian will take x-rays of the teeth
and may find that a tooth’s root has been broken,
decayed, or otherwise compromised. The tooth
usually needs to be removed. Any other affected
teeth will be identified and repaired if possible or removed if too diseased to be saved.
Pets are not vain and will not miss an
extracted tooth. It is better to be missing a
tooth than to have a diseased tooth remain in the mouth! Sutures may be
placed to close any defects. The
doctor will then clean the teeth,
polish them, rinse the mouth, and
perform one last inspection. Pain
medication and antibiotics may
be sent home as well. Your pet
will wake up quickly but may
be a bit groggy for the remainder of the day.
In an article last year I discussed home care for keeping teeth as clean as
possible. A quick
rehash follows. Daily brushing is the
best way to prevent
plaque and tartar
buildup. Having the

groomer brush the teeth once every few months
is not effective. Slowly accustom your furry friend
to tooth brushing. This is not something that most
readily accept, so it may take some patience. Use
dog/cat-safe toothpaste (human toothpaste contains
too much fluoride). Giving dogs and cats chew toys
also helps limit tartar buildup, but hard bones can
lead to tooth fractures.
We have seen many dogs and cats with chronic illnesses and bad teeth. Once we address the
periodontal or tooth disease, we find a dramatic
improvement in quality of life. Teeth are an important part of the body and should not be neglected. See your veterinarian once a year for an exam
and remember to discuss oral and tooth health. As
always, please let us know how we can be of help.
Dan Teich, DVM, is at District Veterinary Hospital,
3748 10th St. NE, Washington, DC 20017; 202-8271230 and desk@districtvet.com. u

*Not to be combined with any other offer. Limit of one per customer. Expires 2/28/17.

Your friend is cool.
His Vet should be, too.

3748 10TH ST. NE, Washington, DC 20017

202-827-1230 • districtvet.com
District Vet is an independent, locally owned
veterinary hospital focused on the needs of you and
your pet. We believe that no two pets are the same
and that each deserves individualized love and
attention. It’s our philosophy. It’s just who we are.

Be a part of our community.
February 2017 H 127

128 H Hillrag.com

NOTEBOOK

{kids &
family}

by Kathleen Donner

First-ever Space Dedicated
to Children at the National
Portrait Gallery

Photo: Courtesy
of Explore!
Children’s Museum
of Washington, DC.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in
partnership with Explore! Children’s Museum
has opened its first-ever space dedicated to children. “Explore! with the Portrait Gallery” will expand experiences of portraiture by allowing kids
to do hands-on activities with portraiture to answer
questions such as “What is a portrait?” “How do I
see myself?” and “How do others see me?” Located on the first floor of the museum, this space represents the Portrait Gallery’s first exhibition with
an interactive bilingual gallery for visitors with
children ages 18 months to eight years. Visitors
will be able to trace each other’s silhouettes, strike
a pose for a projected video art piece and experiment with expression and emotion by building
faces out of illustrated blocks. It is open daily, except Mondays, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The National Portrait Gallery is at Eighth and F Streets NW.
npg.si.edu.

Atlas INTERSECTIONS
Festival Family
The eighth annual INTERSECTIONS Festival, Feb.
24 to March 5, will feature more than 100 performances in dance, music, theatre, family programming and
youth development. INTERSECTIONS was founded
in 2009 as a multi-day festival that brings artists and audiences alike to the developing H Street corridor. The
Festival engages audiences and artists alike by sparking
conversation, deeper connection and community transformation. The Atlas is at 1333 H St. NE. 202399-7993
ext. 2. atlasarts.org.
Here’s the family programming lineup: Jane Franklin Dance-The Big Meow, Feb. 25, 9:30 a.m. and March
4, 10:30 a.m. Sepia Works/Callaloo-The Legend of The
Golden Coqui, Feb. 25, 9:45 a.m. Clown Cabaret-The
Heist, Feb. 25, 10:45 a.m. and March 4, 11:45 a.m. The

February 2017 H 129

{kids and family}

Photo: Courtesy
of the National
Building Museum

Discover Engineering
Family Day
On Saturday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., kick off National Engineers Week with a fun-filled day at
the National Building Museum,
401 F St. NW. Drop in to meet real
engineers and to test out your ideas
with over 20 hands-on engineering
activities. You can launch rockets,
meet an astronaut, make slime, pop
popcorn, and more. Visit engineeringfamilyday.org.

130 H Hillrag.com

In Series-Duke Ellingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Neighborhood, March 4,
9:45 a.m. Capitol Tap and House of Tap-Feel the Beat
Through Your Feet, March 4, 10:30 a.m.

National Geographic Family Day
On Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, Feb. 20, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., National Geographic, 1145 17th St. NW, is hosting a
free, family-friendly event where a group of six can see
award-winning films, visit their museum, and spend a
day exploring the world at Nat Geo! Meet National
Geographic explorers including ocean legend Sylvia
Earle, submersible pilot Erika Bergman, biologist and
photographer Chris A. Johns, herpetologist Jonathan
Kolby and others. Spots are available on a first-come,
first-served basis. This event is free, but attendees must
register to attend. Read more and RSVP at nationalgeographic.org/dc/events/family-day.

Library of Congress Young
Readers Center Extends Hours
The Young Readers Center in the Thomas Jefferson
Building, 10 First St. SE, room LJ G29 on the ground
floor, is now open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
in addition to weekdays. Read more at read.gov/yrc.

Talking About Adoption to
Young Children

This presentation at Hill Center, given in partnership with the Barker Adoption Foundation, will provide adoptive parents with perspective and tools on
how to talk to their young children about adoption
in an age-appropriate manner. Topics to be covered
include: common parental concerns in discussing
adoption with children, typical development stages of
young children and how they may impact an adopt-

For the 2017-2018 school year
Bridges PCS is in our new location:

100 Gallatin St. NE
Washington, DC
20011

Pre-K 3 through 5th grade
Building a strong foundation for learning

APPLY NOW FOR THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR
ALL GRADES, WITH ADDITIONAL SLOTS OPEN FOR 3RD TO 5TH GRADES

Open houses for the 2017-2018 school year will be held on:
Fri. from 9:30 am - 10:30 am:
February 17 & 24
March 17 & 31
April 14 & 28

Wed. from 6 pm - 7 pm:
February 15
March 15
April 12

*You must register for these sessions by calling (202) 545-0515. Limit 30 people per session.

w w w. br i d g e sp c s . org

202.545.0515

Accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
Voted one of the Best Preschools in DC, City Paper Readers Poll 2013 -2016!

February 2017 H 131

{kids and family}

teamwork, the pups show that
“no job is too big, no pup is
too small” as well as sharing
lessons for all ages about citizenship, social skills and problem-solving as they make several heroic rescues on their
race to the finish line. $22
to $68. March 11, 10 a.m., 2
p.m., and 6 p.m.; and March
12, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., at National Theater, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. thenationaldc.org.

ed child’s thinking on his/her adoption, empowering a child to view his/
her adoption from a healthy perspective and providing tools on how to respond to questions from others, and
when (and if) to explain unique circumstances of the adoption in ways
a child can best understand. This
class, on Feb. 22, at 7 p.m., is geared
toward parents whose adopted children are eight years old or younger. Tickets are $30 per person; $45
for couples. If cost is prohibitive,
contact Martha Dantzic at martha.
dantzic@gmail.com about scholarship opportunities. Purchase tickets
at hillcenterdc.org.

Art Adventurers Studio
Art Adventurers Studio classes, Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., begin with a children’s story based
on an artist’s life or a book that will
help introduce the day’s project and
techniques. One main guided project will be based on the story and

132 H Hillrag.com

appeal to a range of ages. Additional exploration stations will be set up
to complement the main project.
These additional stations will reinforce technique and introduce new
materials and tools. These classes are
recommended for ages 2 to 4 and are
drop-in only with a $5 donation per
child to CHAW tuition assistance.
Classes take place at CHAW, 545
Seventh St. SE. For more information contact education@chaw.org or
call 202-547-6839.

PAW Patrol Live!
It’s the day of the Great Adventure
Bay Race between Adventure Bay’s
Mayor Goodway and Foggy Bottom’s Mayor Humdinger, but Mayor Goodway is nowhere to be found.
PAW Patrol to the rescue! Ryder
summons Marshall, Chase, Skye,
Rubble, Rocky, Zuma and Everest
to rescue Mayor Goodway and to run
the race in her place.
Using their unique skills and

Tuesdays at 11 a.m., kids and
their caregivers can visit East
City Bookshop, 645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, for storytime.
This weekly event is free,
open to the public and for
kids through four years. eastcitybookshop.com.

GenOUT Chorus
Performance
On Feb. 11 at 8 p.m., the GenOUT
Chorus takes the Atlas Performing
Arts Center stage in their first fulllength concert. Joining them is the
Arlington Children’s Chorus under
the direction of Kevin Carr. Songs
include “I Am What I Am,” “Beautiful,” “Be Like the Bird” and “Shut
Up and Dance.” Come join the
young people of GenOUT as they
sing out and proud. The Atlas Performing Arts Center is at 1333 H St.
NE. For tickets, call 202-399-7993.
gmcw.org.

Valentine’s Day
Card Workshop
On Feb. 11, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the
Postal Museum will have pretty papers, vintage stamps from around
the world and lots of other supplies
to inspire children’s creativity as
they create one-of-a-kind valentines.

Visit the museum’s stamp store to
send cards to loved ones with a special National Postal Museum postmark. The National Postal Museum
is at 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. 202633-5533. postalmuseum.si.edu.

African American
Aviation Pioneers
On Feb. 11, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the
National Air and Space Museum
celebrates the significant contributions African Americans have made
to flight and space exploration. Enjoy presentations, hands-on activities and stories. Learn about African American astronauts, pilots
and scientists of the past and present and their accomplishments. airandspace.si.edu.

DPR Summer Camp
Reduced Rates
DC Department of Parks and Recreation has announced procedures
for DPR’s Summer Camp Reduced
Rate Policy. DPR is now accepting reduced rate applications for
its 2017 summer camp season. To
qualify, an applicant must provide
proof of DC residency and proof of
income below the poverty level required by Federal guidelines. DPR
can only accept applications for reduced rate in person and applications must be approved for reduced
rate prior to registering for camp.
To apply, customers must visit the Summer Camp Office at Columbia Heights Recreation Center,
1480 Girard St. NW, with correct
documentation to qualify for the
discount. Summer Camp Office
hours are Mondays, 9:30 a.m. to 7
p.m.; and Tuesday through Friday,
9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. DPR will also
accept reduced rate applications
at Barry Farm Recreation Center,
1230 Sumner Rd. SE, Monday to
Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6:30
to 8:30 p.m.; and Deanwood Rec-

River Park Nursery
School’s Sock Hop and
Silent Auction
The annual River Park Nursery
School’s Sock Hop and Silent Auction is on Feb. 25, 4 to 7 p.m., in
the Lutheran Church of the Reformation Parish Hall, 212 East Capitol St. NE. Bring the whole family
and enjoy pizza, drinks, live music
by Mr. Skip and silent and live auctions. Let the little ones out on the
dance floor, participate in arts and
crafts activities and socialize while
you relax and sample the deluxe silent auction. Tickets are $40 per
family or $15 per individual and
can be bought at riverparknurseryschool.org. A special thank you
to the River Park Sock Hop sponsors: The Rob and Brent Group of
TTR Sothebys; John Smith and Peter Grimm of The Smith Team;
Tom Faison Real Estate; Meg Shapiro, Meg and George, Compass
Real Estate; Jeanne Harrison and
Phil Guire of Compass Real Estate;
Eagle Bank; The Lutheran Church
of the Reformation

Imagination Stage’s
“Blue” at the Atlas
Imagine a world where the only color is blue. Blue flowers, blue grass,
even blue cereal! Inky and Pale live
in such a world until they discover
something RED! In this interactive
show, two friends find fun in every
color of the rainbow! Tickets are $6
to $10. Blue is for ages 1 to 5. Feb.
16 to 20 at the Atlas, 1333 H St. NE.
202399-7993 ext. 2. atlasarts.org.

Discovery Theater’s
“How Old is a Hero?”
Everyone can make a difference! In
this uplifting play, audiences meet
young people who helped change
the nation by their heroic actions
during the Civil Rights era: Ernest
Green of the Little Rock Nine; Claudette Colvin, who stayed seated on a
bus before Rosa Parks; and brave sixyear-old Ruby Bridges. Their inspiring stories demonstrate that courage
begins with our young. This Discovery Theater play is shown Feb. 21 to
24 at 10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at the
Ripley Center, Smithsonian. It is recommended for ages 6 to 11. Individual tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for children, $3 for children under two. The
Ripley Center is at 1100 Jefferson Dr.
SW, on the National Mall. discoverytheater.org.

NSO Family Concert:
Joshua Bell in The
Man with the Violin
A world-renowned violinist once
played anonymously in DC’s subway. His experience inspired an acclaimed children’s book. Now this
world premiere concert by the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO)
brings together sensational music,
an engaging narrator and colorful
imagery from the story. The Kennedy Center performance on Feb. 12
at 2 p.m., is for ages 5 and up. $29
to $49. kennedy-center.org. Starting one hour before the concert,
hands-on activities let children get
up close with the instruments they’ll
see played on the stage. Following
the concert, young audience members can ask questions and hear engaging stories in an up-close-and-personal talk with some of the artists.

NSO: Follow That Fiddle
In this home-run performance, NSO
musician Glenn Donnellan will introduce the Electric Slugger, an

February 2017 H 133

{kids and family}

electric violin that he custom made from a baseball bat. Have a ball as he plays a wide range of
musical styles on this and a variety of violins from
around the world. The Kennedy Center performances on Feb. 18, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., are for
ages 3, up. $20. kennedy-center.org.

Transitional Housing for
LGBTQ Youth

On Jan. 7, SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring
Youth Advocates and Leaders) opened a transitional housing facility for LGBTQ youth at 746
19th St. NE. It provides safe accommodations,
case management and additional supportive services to the LGBTQ youth community. SMYAL
has provided services to LGBTQ youth in the District for over 30 years including a telephone hotline, educational outreach programs, aftercare
and LGBTQ youth awareness trainings for professionals in schools, runaway shelters, local government agencies and hospitals.
In the summer of 2015, the first Homeless
Youth Census counted 330 homeless youth and
215 housing insecure youth. Of the 330 homeless
youth, 43 percent self-identified as LGBTQ. Recognizing the need, the District is seeking to expand the availability of LGBTQ homeless youth
beds and accompanying services. In FY17, the
District allocated an additional $2.3 million in
funds to specifically support additional shelter,
transitional housing beds and homeless prevention services. For more information, visit www.
smyal.org.

DAR Museum
Family Events
On Feb. 11, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., make a Victorian
valentine to give to a sweetheart! On March 4, 11
a.m. to 2 p.m., learn how scientists and discoverers of the past used special tools to learn about
the world around them. Look through a real 18th
century microscope and navigate the seas using
an octant. On April 1, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., there
is a Colonial Career Day. Try out different careers from the colonial days. Make a good carpenter? Or a weaver? Or an apothecary? Come learn
some new skills and figure out to make money living in the time of George Washington. These are
walk-in events. Daughters of the American Revolution Headquarters is at 1776 D St. NW. 202628-1776. dar.org.

134 H Hillrag.com

Locals for Locals
Good-bye Winter 5K
“Locals for Locals 5K,” March 19, supports Court
Appointed Special Advocates (CASADC) for
Children of DC help for foster children here in
the District of Columbia. CASA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, promotes court appointed volunteer advocacy so that every abused and neglected child in
the DC foster care system can be safe, establish
permanence and thrive. This mission is carried
out through the recruitment, training and support
of volunteer advocates. Register for the run at localsforlocals5k.com. For more information about
CASADC, visit casadc.org.

New Director at DC Child and
Family Services Agency
Brenda Donald has served as Deputy Mayor for
Health and Human Services since January 2015.
Most recently she worked as both Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and interim
Director of Child and Family Services Agency
(CFSA). She now returns to CFSA as its full-time
director. Donald brings an extensive background
to her new position having previously served as
the agency’s first Chief of Staff from 2001 to
2004 and then as Director until 2005. She later
returned as the agency’s Director in 2012, a role
she stayed in until she became Deputy Mayor.

Pre-K-Eighth Grade
MySchoolDC Lottery Closes
March 1
March 1 is the lottery deadline for School Year
2017-18 spaces at participating District of Columbia public charter schools, and out-of-boundary
places at D.C. Public Schools. District charters
can accept any student resident in the District of
Columbia. DCPS schools participating in the
out-of-boundary program also accept applications
for places for all D.C.-resident students. Additionally, parents can automatically enroll in inboundary DCPS schools in their neighborhood.

periment with different drawing techniques using
soft pastels and conté crayon.
These National Gallery of Art Family Workshops provide the opportunity to explore artists’
thinking and studio practices. Taught by museum
educators, each workshop includes a conversation
in the galleries followed by a hands-on studio session. Family Workshops are designed for children,
ages 8 to 11, and adults to participate in together. All workshops begin in the Education Studio,
located on the East Building Concourse. Workshops are free but preregistration is required. Register at nga.gov.

The Freshest Snow Whyte
Fans of past Hip Hop shows at Imagination Stage
will love this radical update of a familiar fairytale.
Set in the year 3000, we meet Snow Whyte — a
graffiti-artist locked in competition with her arch
rival, Kanye East, over which of them makes the
“freshest” images in the universe. Both depend on
a Simon Cowell-type celebrity called Mira to decide which of them is the best. Snow Whyte discovers that talent is shared equally among all people and not the exclusive property of anyone. Best
for ages 5, up. Tickets are $15 to $35. The show
runs Feb. 11 to March 18 at Imagination Stage,
4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, MD. 301-280-1660.
imaginationstage.org.
Here’s the season’s remaining lineup: The
Jungle Book, April 22 to May 28; Wonderland: Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure, June 21 to Aug. 13.

Ella Enchanted
Based on the Newberry Honor book by Gail Carson Levine, Baby Ella of Frell is given the “gift” of
obedience by Lucinda, a misguided fairy and thus
cannot disobey any direct order. Then when tragedy strikes, Ella is reduced to an obedient servant
in her new home with Dame Olga. Can Ella find
a way to rid herself of the troublesome curse? An
Adventure Theaterproduction for all ages and is
on stage at Glen Echo, through March 19. Tickets are $19.50. adventuretheatre-mtc.org. Here’s
the season’s remaining lineup: Aladdin and the
Wonderful Lamp, April 7 to May 21; and Junie B.
Jones is Not a Crook, June 23 to Aug. 14.

Read with a Kenilworth Ranger
Sundays from 11 a.m. to noon, join a Park Ranger for a fun and educational story time and craft

activity. The program will include the reading of a short
colorful book and conclude
with an arts and crafts activity
based on the story. This program is for ages 4 to 7. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens,
1900 Anacostia Ave. SE. 202692-6080. nps.gov/keaq.

Fort Ward Civil War
Winter Drill Day
Reenactors from the Third US
Regular Infantry, Company K,
will interpret the military life
of the Union soldier at Civil
War Winter Drill Day at Fort
Ward on Feb. 25, 1 to 4 p.m.
(snow date, March 4). The Reenactors will present drill demonstrations, explain the unit’s
equipment and talk about the
popular field of Civil War reenacting. The program is free
with no advance registration
required. Fort Ward is at 4301
W. Braddock Rd., Alexandria,
VA. visitalexandriava.com.

Imagination
Bethesda: A Children’s Arts Street
Festival
On June 3 (save the date), 10
a.m. to 3 p.m., Imagination
Bethesda celebrates children,
art and all things fun. The
22nd annual children’s festival takes place on Woodmont
Ave. and Elm St. in downtown Bethesda. Activity tents
line the streets, face painters
bring butterflies and pirates
to life, a stage of live entertainment will have the whole
street dancing, and more.
Free. bethesda.org.
Have an item for the Kids and
Family Notebook? Email bulletinboard@hillrag.com. u

School Notes
by Susan Braun Johnson
Maury Elementary
Art Meets Engineering – Survival Shoes
Amanda Mentzer (Maury’s Think Tank Coordinator) and Lauren Bomba (Art Teacher) collaborated on a combined project for second and third
grade students. Each child was given a sneaker and
challenged to customize it to suit specific environmental conditions. During Think Tank, students
learned about some of the ways animals are adapted
to survive. They focused on four categories: camouflage, protection, food, and locomotion. Then students worked with a partner to study the animals and
plants in specific “extreme” environments; Amazon
rainforest, African Savannah, Sahara Desert, and
Arctic. In art class, they executed their designs, creating footwear that would help them survive in one of
these environments, using what they learned about
how the animals do it. The final step was self-evaluation; students considered all the proposed design solutions, decided which modifications were the most
successful, and realized that the challenge could

be solved in multiple ways. The shoes are
now hanging in the hallway for the entire
school to admire.

Open House
Interested in learning more about Maury
Elementary School? Prospective families
are invited to meet the principal, teachers
and parents who work together to make
Maury a community school. Visitors will
see classes in action, have the opportunity
to talk with current Maury families about
their experience, and attend a Q&A with
the principal to learn about the curriculum, before and aftercare programs, extracurricular activities, and community partnerships. Tuesday, February 14, 9 - 10:30
a.m. No reservation required.
Brent Elementary 2017 Spelling Bee Winners

Maury Elementary is located at 1250 Constitution Ave., NE. Call them at 202-6983838 or learn more at mauryelementary.com. – Elizabeth Nelson.

Brent Elementary
Spelling Bee Winners

Maury ES students
eyeing the Survival
Shoes project

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This year 28 students from
grades three, four and five,
(four from each classroom)
competed in the Brent Annual Spelling Bee on January 13. Nadia Wheelock
won the 2017 Brent Spelling Bee Championship.
Like many Brent students,
Nadia studied her word
lists with friends and family every chance she got.
This helped her to succeed
through 16 rounds as she
spelled difficult words such
as obsequious, exuberant,
soliloquy and the championship word- “precocious”.
The competition was quite
intense. Nadia and Jude
Martin, the 2nd place win-

ner, challenged each other alone for 8 rounds almost exhausting the total word list. The Top Winners were: 1st Place-Nadia Wheelock, Age 9, 2nd
Place-Jude Martin, Age 10, 3rd Place – Karli Bryant, Age 9 Alternate-– Ella Turner, Age 9, Gr. 4.
Brent’s three top winners will now advance to
one of the Cluster Competitions to be held during
the week of February 21. There they will face top
spellers from other DCPS schools. Winners from
all the Cluster Competitions will advance to the
City-wide Competition. Good Luck to the Brent
Spelling Bee Team!
Brent Elementary is located 301 North Carolina
Ave SE. For more info: www.brentelementary.org.
– Denise Diggs

Capitol Hill Cluster School
Chancellor Wilson Visits Peabody
The Capitol Hill Cluster School community came
together on January 26 for Family Fun Night, a dinner and dance party that serves as a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends and reconnect with
other Cluster families. Hosted at Stuart-Hobson, this
party had students of all ages, faculty, and parents
getting down on the dance floor, having fun with
board games, and enjoying dinner together.

On January 5th Peabody Early
Childhood campus received a very
special visit from the new DCPS
Chancellor of schools, Mr. Antwan
Wilson. Chancellor Wilson spent
his time touring the early childhood
building and greeting teachers and
staff. Students gave Chancellor Wilson a very warm welcome and shared
their learning centers with him. The
Chancellor’s visit supported his learning about early childhood programming throughout DCPS.
Stuart-Hobson’s reading intervention teacher, Beth Dewhurst, was surprised in her classroom by Superintendent Kang, who recognized her as the

District’s 2017 Teacher of
the Year. Ms. Dewhurst
was selected for increasing skill levels through
her unique reading intervention courses and
her efforts to build literacy school-wide. She will
now represent the District
in the National Teacher
of the Year competition.

The Capitol Hill Cluster
School’s website is www.
capitolhillclusterschool.
org. Peabody is located
at 425 C St. NE. Watkins Elementary
School @ Eliot-Hine is located at 1830
Constitution Ave. NE. Stuart-Hobson
is located at 410 E St. NE.Facebook.
com/CHCS.DC; twitter.com/CHCSPTA –Katharine Kaplan.

Ludlow-Taylor
Ludlow-Taylor Comes Together
for PTO’s Potluck Dinner
Ludlow-Taylor closed out 2016 with
three events that reaffirmed the value of the school’s instructional program and the vibrancy of its community.
In late-November, the entire
community came together for the

Ludlow-Taylor staff and community members hard at work carving
turkey for the PTO’s Potluck Dinner.”

February 2017 H 137

{kids and family}

fore being selected and assigned to a
trip. This summer the two students
will travel to Paris for a week to study
the French language, culture, art and
history. Congratulations!

Four CHML
seventh graders
who participated
in the Think It Up
Conference with
their Empathy
Award

PTO’s Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner. Children, families, teachers,
and staff packed the school’s multipurpose room to enjoy turkey and
a seemingly endless supply of side
dishes and desserts, plus karaoke
and an impromptu singalong courtesy of Dean Thomas.
A few weeks later, the school
gathered again for the annual Winter Concerts, under the direction
of Ludlow-Taylor’s music teacher,
James Levy, as well as assorted faculty who lead dance groups and provide logistical support. As students
in each grade took the stage to perform, they displayed their considerable musical talents.
Finally, the school held its Fall
Awards ceremonies, where students
in each grade were honored for academic performance, strong improvement, good citizenship, and perfect
attendance. Students clapped and
cheered enthusiastically as their
peers received certificates and congratulations from their teachers and
Principal Smith. The wide variety
of awards and award winners showed
the school’s commitment to honoring the process of learning, not just

138 H Hillrag.com

Think It Up Conference

the outcome, as well as its belief
that success looks different for each
student—and that all successes are
worth celebrating.
LT is located at 659 G St NE. Learn
more at www.ludlowtaylor.org.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.
com/LudlowTaylor/. Twitter: @
LTPrincipSmith.
– Tom Sellevaag

In November, CHML science
teacher Alicia Chambers accompanied four seventh graders to the
Think It Up Conference. The conference is a student powered, teacher led, and crowd funded workshop
for students to present their ideas
for funding. Think It Up invites
students to work with their teachers to develop projects that draw on
their passions and connect to the futures they want to pursue. The seventh graders presented their ideas
to write, produce, and perform an
interactive play about Henrietta
Lacks. Lacks played important role
in history as an African American
woman who was the progenitor of
the HeLa cell line, one of the most

important cell lines in medical research ever discovered.
The students participated in
workshops and presented their project. The students will distribute video copies of their performance, as
well as activities for teachers to use
with their students to D.C. area middle schools. The CHML seventh
graders won the Empathy Award
for their project idea and a $1,000
kickstart grant to make it happen!
CH Montessori is located at 215 G
St NE. Learn more at www.capitolhillmontessorischool.org.

Eliot-Hine School Notes
Junk Art Club wins OSSE
Health and Wellness Award
The Eliot-Hine Junk Art Club was
selected as a winner of the Office of
the State Superintendent for Education (OSSE) Health and Wellness
Award. The Junk Art Club won the
award for their efforts to create art
out of materials that would normal-

Capitol Hill
Montessori at Logan
Eighth Graders
Study Abroad
Two CHML eighth grade students have been selected to travel abroad this summer as part of
the DCPS Study Abroad program! DCPS Study Abroad helps
ensure that our students have access to global experiences, so that
travel becomes the expectation
rather than the exception for students. It is a competitive process
with more than 1,200 area students applying for approximately
500 positions. Students submitted
several essays and sat for a personal interview with DCPS staff be-

Jefferson Academy
Feed the Feeder
Near Southeast Community Partners, JMA-Solutions and the Association of American Railroads hosted the first-ever “Feed the Feeder”
reception for Jefferson Academy,
Brent, Amidon-Bowen, Tyler and
Van Ness at Agua 301.
Guests included over 135
teachers, principals, staff, CHPSPO,
PTA’s, Council Members and the
State Board of Education Representative for Ward 6.
As the Adopt-a-School Partner
to Jefferson (& Amidon), the goal
was to bring all five schools together, show appreciation for the teachLittle Lovelies enjoying last year’s Sock Hop at the River Park
ers, highlight the great things that
Nursery School
are happening at Jefferson, work to
ensure that we hire and retain qually be considered trash. The school received $500
ity teachers and help increase enrollment into our
for the award.
middle school.
NSCP President Bruce DarConte addressed
Hazel Wartchow wins DC Environmental
the guests, shared the purpose for the event and what
Essay Contest
NSCP has done for our schools and the communiSixth-grader Hazel Wartchow was one of ten stuty. Mr. DarConte then introduced Councilmemdents from across the city recognized by the Disber Robert White who shared his passion for edutrict Department of Energy and the Environment
cation and appreciation for our teachers and what
(DDOEE) for her essay on invasive species in the
Anacostia River. The DC Environmental
Essay Contest challenged students to think
critically and write creatively about a local
environmental issue of concern. As part of
the award, Hazel’s class will receive an educational boat tour of the Anacostia River in
the Spring.

being elected to the Council meant to him. Councilmember Elissa Silverman was also in attendance
and her support for our local schools was evident as
she chatted with teachers from each school. Jefferson Principal Greg Dohmann highlighted the wonderful learning environment at Jefferson.
A special thank you to the Brent PTA and Amidon PTA for their sponsorship.
Jefferson Academy is located at 801 7th St SW. Learn
more at http://www.jeffersontrojans.org.
– Bruce DarConte, info@nscpartners.org

River Park Nursery School
River Park Nursery School’s Sock Hop and
Silent Auction - Feb 25
Bring the whole family and enjoy pizza, drinks, live
music by Mr. Skip and a fantastic silent and live
auction. Let the little ones shake their sillies out on
the dance floor, participate in arts and crafts activities, and socialize while you relax and sample a deluxe silent auction!
The party starts at 4 p.m. in the Parish Hall
of the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 212
East Capitol Street NE. Tickets are $40 per family or $15per individual and can be bought through
Eventbrite at riverparknurseryschool.org
River Park wishes to send a special thank you to
its sponsors (as of this printing): the Rob and Brent

Eliot-Hine receives OSSE Farm
Field Trip Grants
Eliot-Hine was awarded two OSSE Farm
Field Trip Grants. These grants will fund
trips for the sixth and seventh grade students to visit a local farm this Spring. The
grant funds have also been used to purchase
a GrowLab for the school.
Please visit the new Eliot-Hine website at
www.eliothinemiddleschool.org! Eliot-Hine
IB Middle School is located at 1830 Constitution Ave. Check out their new website at: eliothinemiddleschool.org. Tweet @EliotHine;
FB Eliot-Hine. – Suzanne Wells.

CHDS Sixth-Graders work on social justice issues. Photo: Sara Driscoll

Monday–Friday, 9:00am–5:30pm
$2000 for 6 weeks ($333 per week)
No extra charge for early drop off at 8:15 am or late pickup at 6:00 pm
• Fun Rehearsals
• Acting & Improvisation Games
• Choreography
• Music

• Character Creation
• Scene Building
• Set Designs
• And More

performing arts camp

Register/Info at: 202-316-2258
www.sugarfoots.com/camp

Students, staff and parents from Friends
Community School leave the school for a
march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King.

Group of TTR Sotheby’s, John Smith and Peter Grimm of the Smith Team, Jeanne Harrison and Phil Guire of Compass Real Estate,
Meg Shapiro and George Olsen of Compass
Real Estate, Tom Faison Real Estate, and the
Lutheran Church of the Reformation.
River Park Nursery School is located in the Lutheran Church of the Reformation at 212 East
Capitol Street NE. Call 202-546-7767 or visit www.riverparknurseryschool.org.
– Anne Thomas.

Capitol Hill Day School
CHDS: New Year, New Website!
Capitol Hill Day School celebrated the new
year by rolling out a new website and a refreshed
logo. Please visit www.chds.org, and check back
frequently as new content is added.
Later this month, upper graders will celebrate the arts at Kresh Fest, a coffeehousestyle evening of performance, food, and fun
that will be followed by the eighth-grade LockIn. Kresh Fest is named for the School’s former Poet-in-Residence, the late David Kresh
whose children graduated from the School in
2002 and 2006.
As part of their focus on criminal justice, sixth-graders are making children’s books
for one of the early childhood classrooms.
The goal is to move children away from seeing the world as “bad guys” and “good guys,”

142 H Hillrag.com

where the only punishment for a crime is jail.
Sixth-graders began to see that sharing their
learnings about justice with others, especially
younger students, is an essential step towards
building a more just society. Students generated many ideas of how they could share or
model concepts of justice with younger students, and decided that sharing stories in the
form of picture books would be a meaningful way to connect young children to some
of the facets of justice that the older students
explored this year. Read the sixth-grade social justice blog here: https://chds6authenticlearning.wordpress.com/2017/01/17/justicefor-all-ages/.
Capitol Hill Day School is located at 210
South Carolina Ave, SE. Call 202-386-9919
or go to www.chds.org to learn more. Connect
via Facebook @CapitolHillDaySchool and
Twitter @explorewithCHDS. – Jane Angarola.

Friends Community School
FCS Celebrates Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
Friends Community School marked the
birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with
study and activities in honor of the prominent
civil rights leader. More than 250 students,
staff and parents marched through the College Park neighborhood around the school
in commemoration of Dr. King. In advance

Progressive Quaker Education
Kindergarten - Grade 8

Experience the
of the march, students made signs,
studied Dr. King and discussed his
ideas and their applications to today.
In addition to the march,
eighth grade students performed a
play called “King in Montgomery:
Ten Years in the Nonviolent Civil
Rights Movement,” an original production directed by middle school
teacher Annie Boggess that included freedom songs and excerpts from
Dr. King’s writings. The play tells
the story of nonviolent tactics used
in the civil rights movement that
Dr. King led. The school community also held a Quaker Meeting for
Worship in honor of Dr. King.
The Friends Chorus participated in the Annual Tribute to Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. at the University of Maryland. Students performed “Kumbaya” and “Cooroo
Cooroo” led by performing arts

teacher Kiersten Whitehead and
accompanied by pianist Debbie Jacobson.
Friends Community School is
a Quaker school and the Quakers
had a close relationship with Dr.
King from the mid-1950s until his
death in 1968. Quakers helped arrange the pilgrimage he took to India with his wife Coretta Scott King
to visit the people and places associated with the non-violent leader
Mahatma Gandhi. The American
Friends Service Committee, itself a
recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize,
nominated Dr. King for the award,
which he received in 1964.
Friends Community School is located at 5901 Westchester Park Drive.
College Park, MD. For more info go
to www.friendscommunityschool.org.
– Eric Rosenthal.

St. Peter School
Catholic Schools Week
Students from St. Peter School
helped kick off Catholic
School Week, which runs 29
January through 4 February, by
participating in morning mass
at the local parishes of St. Peter’s Church, St. Joseph’s on
Capitol Hill and St. Dominic Church. Students in their
school uniform participated by
greeting congregants, doing the
readings, bringing up the gifts,
and passing out bulletins and
thank you notes. After the mass
at St. Peter’s and St. Joseph’s,
students shared their catholic identity and school pride
by hosting a Welcome Reception, where families and children could learn more about
St. Peter School, enjoy games,
coloring, and a fun hot chocolate bar! ... but the fun was just
beginning!
During Catholic Schools
Week, St. Peter School faculty, staff and student council
design and sponsor a variety of
activities for students and parents. The annual Geography
Bee, Science Fair, and Career
Day provide an opportunity for
students to demonstrate their
academic excellence, which
is a natural byproduct of the
school’s rigorous academic programs. Meanwhile, Crazy Hat
Day, a Door Decoration Contest, Trivia Tuesday, Get up
and Dance Party, and Sports
Theme Day give the students
an opportunity to show off their
creativity and individuality! but
the fun was not just for the students!
Catholic School Week festivities will conclude with the
St. Peter School annual auction
and gala. Themed A Night in

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IS FROM

Encouraging
Empowerment and
Imagination in a
Safe and Caring
Environment
For Children
Ages 3-10

JUNE 19 to
AUGUST

4

2017
TYLER ES

PENDING DCPS APPROVAL

Old Havanna, the event take
place on February 4 at The
Sphinx Club on K Street. To
order tickets online, visit the
action webpage at: https://stpis.
ejoinme.org. The event will be
complete with live and silent
auctions, seated dinner with
Cuban cuisine, complimentary cocktails, and salsa dancing. The day may be cold, but
the night will be HOT! HOT!
HOT!
St. Peter School is located at 422
Third St, SE. To learn more call
202-544-1618. email: info@stpeterschooldc.org or log on to www.
stpeterschooldc.org.
– Tony Militello

Blyth-Templeton
Academy
Mini Documentaries on
the American Dream in
English 11
Term 2 at Blyth-Templeton
Academy concluded with English 11 students creating and
presenting mini-documentaries on the American Dream.
They learned to schedule, conduct, and film interviews, create a storyline with an overarching question, and edit videos for
a specific audience. Each student’s Mini-documentary project asked students to use primary research and secondary
research to explore how the
American Dream is defined today and what obstacles interfere with achieving the American Dream. In this course, the
American Dream was defined
according to James Truslow
Adams: “that one can be successful according to one’s own
standards regardless of circumstance or background.” One student who focused on women’s

Younger children (ages 3-5) will engage in creative play, field trips, amazing classes, performers,
the arts, language, movement, plenty of outdoor time and waterplay each week.
Older ones (ages 6-10) will enjoy camp mornings focused on the arts, sports, critical thinking,
sign language and cultural experiences. In the afternoon, there will also be a host of field trips,
classes, performers, swimming and more.

KIDS CAMPS

CAMP

Small ratios for all campers-breakfast, snack, (maybe lunch),
all performers, classes and trips included
*children ages 6 and up must bring a SmarTrip card

Registration Begins February 6th

Download applications at www.politepiggys.com
Mail to PO Box 31215, WDC 20030 OR
Submit either at Maury ES,Tyler ES or School Within a School ES daily between 4pm-6pm

campshenanigans.com/summercamp
Blyth-Templeton Life 101 Students Returning from Museum Trip

ability to attain the American Dream met
with Chloe Schwenke in D.C. after watching
her TedTalk, “The Unexpected Champions
of Human Dignity.” Schwenke described the
struggles and the discrimination she faced as
a transgender woman. Another student conducted research on educational opportunities
for African-Americans and the connection to
achieving the American Dream. His examination looked at what education was like before
and after integration as well as today through
interviews with his grandmother, father and
college-bound sister. A third student explored
the American Dream through the eyes of his
“Generation Z” classmates. After interviewing four peers in each grade, he found that
though his generation is pessimistic about the
American Dream, they still remain hopeful
about being catalysts for redefining success
in America. Through this re-imagining of
the traditional research paper, Blyth-Templeton Academy students continue to learn new
skills, apply those skills to real issues, and find

Two Rivers PCS
Parents and Staff Go Back to Class
In response to an increase of hate speech and
crimes in America, Two Rivers Public Charter
School took parents and staff back to school for
“Share Your DC,” an adult expedition.
In the classroom, Two Rivers students use
expeditions, in-depth semester-long problembased investigations, that compel them to find
answers in hard-to-solve situations by engaging
with case studies, field work, experts, and the

NOW OPEN!

801 D St, NE

m usiconthehilldc.com | (202) 733-3158

Two Rivers Chief of Staff, Khizer Husain, looks at the Photo Book product from
the Share Your DC Expedition with a guest

arts. Using the same model, Two Rivers gave adults an opportunity to try
an expedition for themselves. They
learned about photography, and discussed their unique experiences as
Washingtonians.
Jessica Wodatch, Executive
Director, helped design the expedition. “We’re thrilled to offer
a chance for Two Rivers adults to
make connections across differences, and confront assumptions and biases,” she said. “These discussions
strengthen our community.”
During the first night of the expedition, parents and staff discussed
their personal communities, the effect of bias, and the impact of stereotypes. For their second class, the
participants learned about photography, identity, and the process of
telling a story. In the third session,
the group shared their perspectives

of DC through pictures and stories.
The group reunited one last time at
a final event in January, where they
celebrated their time in the class,
premiered a group photo book, and
discussed what they had learned.
“I’m really grateful to be part
of a community that would take the
time and money to put something
like this together,” said one participant. “We just need to expand this
now to accommodate a hundred
million people.”
Two Rivers Public Charter School has
three schools located at 1227 4th
St, NE (elementary school); 1234 4th
St NE (middle school); and 820 26th
St, NE (elementary school). Follow @
TwoRiversPCS on Twitter and Facebook. Questions? Call 202-546- 4477,
email info@tworiverspcs.org, or visit
www.tworiverspcs.org. – Katie Voorman. u

wo local entrepreneurs now offer gardening help to residents of the
Hill and beyond: Laurie Gillman, owner of East City Bookshop, and
Amanda McClean, co-owner of Izel Native Plants. Both businesses opened fairly recently and each one integrates the best practices
of analog and digital worlds in refreshing and contemporary ways.

East City Bookshop
On a recent shopping trip, I stopped into East City Bookshop at 645 Pennsylvania
Avenue, SE, and was thrilled to discover the largest collection of high quality new
garden and landscape books south of Politics & Prose. This independent bookstore,
now approaching its first anniversary, has already become an active partner in community events with author talks, hosting book clubs, story time for kids, and even a
knitting and audio book club.
The store’s founder, Laurie Gillman, was one of many folks disappointed by
the 2009 closing of Trover Books, also on Pennsylvania Avenue. After doing some
research, she found that indie bookstores are making a comeback, and she opened
East City Bookshop in April 2016. Gillman is proud of the shop’s mission to “provide friendly and warm service, community-oriented events, and support for the literary arts at every reading level.”
The garden section contains books about ferns,
fruit, and flowers, and books about gardening edibles
with titles including, “Carrots Love Tomatoes,” “Grow
All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet,” and “The Rooftop
Growing Guide,” all handy for Capitol Hill gardens.
A garden design section features books by and about
contemporary designers such as Bunny Williams, Piet
Oudolf, and Arne Maynard, as well as treatises such
as, “Modern Garden Design,” “Paradise Gardens,” and
“Virginia: The Romance of Flowers.” Truly, there is
something for everyone, including, “Gardening for Butterflies,” and one that we keep near our bar at home,
“The Drunken Botanist,” by Amy Stewart.
If you can’t spare half an hour to browse the shelves
in person, East City Bookshop offers a well-designed,
homey website with easy subject searches, audiobook
ordering, and even a Staff Picks section listed by staff
Native Plants co-owner and Hill resident,
member, similar to the friendly hand-written notes
Amanda McClean. Photo courtesy of Amanda McClean

Laurie Gillman, owner of East City Bookshop.
Photo courtesy of Laurie Gillman

plant list generated by designers. Contractors drive to wholesale nursery site(s), and load
their truck themselves, following the grower’s minimum order requirements. They deliver
the plants to the project site on
installation day, and plant them
for the wholesale price plus a
markup for travel, labor, materials, and profit.
If you are a homeowner
and garden geek, you may not
always be able to find exactly
what you want at a retail garden
center, and if you aren’t working
with a professional landscape
contractor, Izel Native Plants
might be just what you need.
Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans) blooms in early spring.
Started in April 2014, Izel
Photo: Amanda McClean
is an online-only retail clearinghouse offering primarily
found in the store. The website’s calendar of
Mid-Atlantic native plants in smaller sizes to
events is full of gatherings of all kinds: http://
retail customers by mail. Several local wholewww.eastcitybookshop.com/event. The shop’s
sale growers, carefully vetted by Izel owners
400 square foot lower level can also be rented
Amanda McClean and Claudio Vazquez, ship
out for private parties, fundraisers, and other
your order to your door, carefully packing your
special events. A weekly newsletter and Faceplants for the journey. You place one order on a
book page (https://www.facebook.com/eastcityuser-friendly website, and the plants are packed
bookshop/) are designed to keep you up to date
and shipped to you by whichever grower(s) are
on special offerings and events. With spring
responsible. A single order may involve severaround the corner, make the most of indoor
al shipments to your address, but the shipping
reading weather now.
cost is included in the price of the plants. You
should be available to receive your plants and
Izel Native Plants
care for them as soon as they arrive.
It’s a short stroll from Izel co-founder Amanda
Amanda McClean’s background in phoMcClean’s home to Port City Java, where we
tography, marketing and website user experichat outside on a balmy January day. Izel (proence design (UX) makes her the perfect pernounced “eye-Zel”) is an Aztec word meaning
son to shepherd Izel’s website, https://www.
unique, which gets at the heart of the compaizelplants.com/. There are many ways to search
ny’s business model of shipping plants directthe site, filtering results for garden conditions
ly to gardeners.
such as sunlight and moisture. Once selected,
There has always been a divide between
a plant’s characteristics and ordering availabilipurchasing plants wholesale and purchasing
ty are shown in great detail in a visually unclutthem retail. Typically, retail garden centers
tered screen. You can add the plant to a wish
sell what’s in season directly to home gardenlist or a shopping cart, and you can track your
ers, in quart or gallon sized pots for perenniorder using the site’s easy interface.
als, and larger ones for shrubs and trees. GarMcClean usually stays behind the scenes,
den centers purchase from wholesale growers,
enjoying the convenience and flexibility of her
selecting what’s in bloom in quantities they
home office. But she will be out in person on
feel they can sell. Those who purchase plants
March 25, 2017 at the U.S. National Arborewholesale, such as contractors, work from a

The impressive garden section at East
City Bookshop. Photo: Cheryl Corson

tum’s annual Native Plant Sale,
held on the same day as the 31st
annual Lahr Native Plant Symposium. See http://www.fona.
org/lahr-symposium/ for more
information as it becomes available. Admission to the plant sale
is free, and the Symposium has a
modest registration fee.

Some Native Plants
for the Hill
Because Izel Native Plants sells
only what’s native and grown locally, current limited availability will soar in March and April.
However, some choice species
are available now. McClean recommends these natives for our
Capitol Hill gardens:
• Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans). This creeping part-sun woodland
perennial boasts lavenderblue flowers from AprilJune (depending on conditions) and grows up to 16”
tall. https://www.izelplants.
com/polemonium-reptansgreek-valerian.html?___
SID=U.
• Allegheny Spurge (Pachysandra procumbens). This
low growing evergreen native Pachysandra has spikes

152 H Hillrag.com

LOOK FOR THE

of white or pink, fragrant,
bottle brush-like flowers
that emerge in early spring
before new leaf growth appears. Interestingly, it is in
the boxwood family. https://
www.izelplants.com/pachysandra-procumbens-allegheny-spurge.html?___
SID=U.
• Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) is a
two foot tall, clump growing
evergreen noticeable in our
gardens at this time of year.
It prefers low light settings.
https://www.izelplants.com/
polystichum-acrostichoideschristmas-fern.html?___
SID=U.
Other favorites Amanda
mentions for Capitol Hill gardens are Trumpet honeysuckle
(Lonicera sempervirens), Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadense), Northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum).
Try searching https://www.izelplants.com and see which you
might like to try.
There are probably great
native plant books at East City
Bookshop, and if there is something they don’t have that you
want to order, owner Laurie
Gillman would be happy to
help. Then Amanda McClean
can track your online Izel Native Plant order so you can plant
small tender perennials in early
spring while the weather is still
cool. “Plant Native!” says Amanda, and happy gardening.
Cheryl Corson is a licensed landscape architect practicing on the
Hill since the Clinton administration. She is author of Sustainable
Landscape Maintenance for the
Chesapeake Bay Watershed, http://
cblpro.org/downloads/CBLPMaintenanceManual.pdf. For more, see:
www.cherylcorson.com. u

We forgot to prune our beautiful lacecap hydrangeas and
are now wondering whether we
should still do it this late. Or
have we missed the boat as far as
expecting any beautiful flat blue
blooms in 2017? I always get
lacecaps mixed up in my mind
with the snowball and oak leaf
varieties of hydrangea.
You are not the only one.
Some hydrangeas can be cut
back anytime because they
bloom on “new” (this year’s)
wood. But a lacecap blooms on
“old” wood. Its buds are already
“set.” So wait – if it needs pruning – until just after it blooms
this summer.
Instead of a bouquet, my dinner
guest arrived with two pale yellow orchid plants in pots. I was
speechless with gratitude – and
fear. How must I care for these
exotic things? Their name is Phalaenopsis. I want to be worthy of
this flattering gift.
With almost no effort you
can be worthy. Read up on Phalaenopsis care on the internet.
The essentials are: bright, indirect light – no direct sun – and
not very much water, but high
humidity. Fill a dish or tray
with pebbles and water to the
top of the pebbles. Place the or-

HOT in Summer,
COLD in Winter?

chid pots on top of the pebbles
near a southern window. Be sure
sun does not directly reach the
leaves. Water only once a week,
most sparingly. They like night
temperatures of no less than 62
degrees F and daytime temperatures of no more than 80. An average of 70 will work. Some recommend feeding. Use a special
orchid food or a general 20-10-20
fertilizer – one half teaspoon per
gallon of water.
I am considering writing a crime
novel set on Capitol Hill. Are
there ordinary garden plants
whose toxicity would be sufficient
to cause the death of an adult?
You would be surprised.
While some cause mere stomach
upset or skin abrasions, many
are lethal – horse chestnut, hydrangea, lupine, the seeds of the
sweet pea. Look online for a longer list. Your problem, however,
will be easy detection by forensic toxicologists, combined with
implausibility. Victim must not
suspect, and neither must all but
your canny detective.
We have no water source in our
backyard. How can we garden?
We do not wish to have to install
a tap there yet.
Try a rain barrel, hooked up
to a downspout from your roof.
They are quite popular. However, you will be as dependent on
the arrival of rain as any old-fashioned farmer.
On Tuesday, Feb. 14, novice and
experienced gardeners will receive a primer on how and when
to prune trees and woody bushes.
Find membership details at capitolhillgardenclub.org. We meet at the
Northeast Public Library, corner of
Seventh Street and Maryland Avenue NE. Meetings start at 7 p.m.
and are free and open to all. u

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February 2017 ★ 161